Welcome
Thank you for visiting my website. It is an honor to represent the 4th District as your State Senator. I hope this website will serve as a resource for you to remain informed on the issues and the legislative work taking place in the General Assembly. Please feel free to explore this website and use it as a resource for accessing the many services offered by your state and local governments.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my offices.
District office:
10330 West Roosevelt Rd
Suite 308
Westchester, IL 60154
(708) 343-7444 PHONE / (708) 343-7400 FAX
Springfield office:
Senator 4th District
323B Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-8505 PHONE / (217) 558-2068 FAX
Sincerely,
Senator Kimberly A. Lightford
Assistant Majority Leader
4th Senate District
SPRINGFIELD- Legislation that would create a process for eligible voters to be automatically registered was vetoed by Governor Bruce Rauner today.
Senate Bill 250 would allow for the Secretary of State’s office and similar state agencies to submit eligible voters’ information to the State Board of Elections when they visit their facilities for services.
Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) released the following statement:
“Minority groups throughout our history have fought for the right to vote, and we should be continuing that legacy of promoting participation in our democracy. I will remain in support of this measure and hope to see it come to fruition in the near future.”
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Funding for programs serving children ages birth to three will continue to increase under a proposal that was signed into law today. Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) led efforts to ensure this funding increase would not sacrifice support for other early childhood programs.
Senate Bill 238 requires 25 percent of any increase in funding for early childhood education must go to birth to three programs.
“Educating our children requires us to invest the proper resources to ensure their success,” Lightford said. “We have made great efforts in improving developmental education over the last ten years. This legislation helps us to continue that work and move toward closing under achievement gaps without taking away from other valuable early childhood education programs.”
Under current law, Early Childhood Block Grant funds directed to programs for children age 0-3 were required to increase to at least 20 percent of all available block grant funding in 2016. Unfortunately, due to lack of funds the increase would have resulted in a loss of funding for programs that serve children aged 3-5.
SB 238 fixes this unintended consequence. The new law is effective immediately.
