SPRINGFIELD - Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford released the following statement on news that Gov. JB Pritzker has appointed Kristin Richards, current Chief of Staff to the Senate President, to serve as the Director of the Illinois Department of Employment Security on Thursday:

“Congratulations to Kristin Richards on being chosen as director of IDES! I commend Gov. Pritzker for seeking out talent with proven experience. I’ve enjoyed working with Kristin in her various management roles with previous administrations and most recently as President Cullerton’s chief of staff. I look forward to supporting her as she takes on this new challenge during this critical time. She’s a true public servant, an inspiration and a powerhouse of a woman. Shine on Kristin!”

Read more: https://www2.illinois.gov/Pages/news-item.aspx?ReleaseID=21801

CHICAGO – The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Trump Administration’s expansion of birth control exemptions, allowing employers to deny women the access to birth control established in the Affordable Care Act. Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) reacted with the following statement.

“More than 70,000 women will lose access to birth control over the Trump Administration’s ploy to appease conservatives. We should not have to keep explaining that birth control is more than a form of contraceptive, and is a health care need for many.

“Women should not be shamed for their sexuality, and it is also no one else’s business why they need birth control. We need to stop finding excuses to control bodies that are not our own, and protect women’s autonomy.”

CHICAGO – Chicago’s July 4th holiday was once again afflicted by gun violence across the city, including 7-year-old Natalia Wallace and 14-year-old Vernado Jones. Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) released the following statement in reaction to the devastating events that took place.

“I have dedicated my career to the idea that every child deserves a quality education, a transformative tool they can use to better themselves. Then, tragedies like the killings of Natalia Wallace and Vernado Jones happen, and we are once again facing the dark reality that our children are not safe enough to benefit from any education.

“However, it has become far too easy to just blame the individuals who shot the murder weapon. The problem we are facing is much larger. This violence is used to paint Black people as inherently bad, when the government has failed to address inequities facing impoverished, neglected and deprived communities.

“It takes a miracle to pull yourself up by your bootstraps when you are working against the weight of every system in our country. Our current movement is about recognizing that, and in the memory of children like Natalia and Vernado, let’s do something about it.”

SPRINGFIELD – After Sergeant Javier Esqueda blew the whistle on the death of Eric Lurry in Joliet police custody, he was stripped of his badge and put on administrative leave. Esqueda made local officials aware that a video of Lurry’s death in January had been withheld from the public for the past five months. Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) reacted with the following statement.

“Sergeant Esqueda is being punished for being a good officer by holding the Joliet police department accountable for the death of Eric Lurry. It sends the message that police departments are not open to reform, and any officer that goes against the code of silence will be reprimanded.

“There is no room for policing that is not focused on the healing and wellbeing of our communities. We should be encouraging officers to stand up the way Sergeant Esqueda did because no one should have to compromise their morals to keep their job, especially not a job meant to protect the public.”