Lightford: Poor literacy can hurt a student's access to successful career opportunities

SPRINGFIELD – When students struggle with reading comprehension, they often struggle in other areas of education. To address this issue, Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood), Illinois Senate Majority Leader, is sponsoring a measure to increase students' literacy and reading comprehension. 

"Children with strong reading abilities oftentimes have a confident approach to their education," Lightford said. "It’s critical for educators to focus on developing a child’s literacy development within the early stages."

Senate Bill 3900 creates the Right to Read Act in the School Code to help students achieve greater levels of literacy and reading comprehension at an early age through evidence-based literacy instruction. 

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Oak Park District 97 Annual CLAIM YOUR VOICE: Legislators Forum

Lightford announces Jan. 1 increase in minimum wage

MAYWOOD – Illinois Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood), is excited to announce the new $12 per hour minimum wage in Illinois is starting Jan. 1, 2022.

“Even before the pandemic, many working families were struggling,” Lightford, chief sponsor of the 2019 law raising the minimum wage, said. “This increase won’t solve all of their problems, but it will surely help.”

Public Act 101-1 was signed into law in 2019, putting the state on the path to a $15 per hour minimum wage by 2025. So far, there have been three increases to the minimum wage.

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Town Hall - Climate and Equitable Jobs Act

Join Kimberly A. Lightford on Wednesday, Dec. 15, from 5 – 6 p.m. for a town hall with Illinois Sierra Club and Faith in Place  to learn about the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act workforce and contractor development programs.

The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act will create the Illinois Climate Works Preapprenticeship Program and Clean Energy Prime Contractor Accelerator Programs to train and mentor workers for clean energy construction and building trades careers. This act is historic for Illinois and will jumpstart more sustainable, diverse energy jobs. It also helps tackle our world’s number one issue, climate change, and leads us to a cleaner and safer future.

To join the town hall and learn more about this legislation and how it will increase job opportunities in the state of Illinois, click here: https://bit.ly/3DrVIZ7