CHICAGO- Senate Majority Leader and Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Chair Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) joined her fellow ILBC members, Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton and other community leaders across Chicago and the suburbs on Saturday for a bus tour to make communities aware of the importance of the upcoming 2020 Census.

“Historically, people of color have been undercounted during the census process, a shortcoming that has left our communities without proper funding for vital resources and put a strain on state budgeting,” said Lightford. “My colleagues and I are working on reaching those hard-to-count populations in order to ensure that Illinois does not lose out on billions in federal funding or representation in Congress.”

Overall, Illinois has committed $29 million in this year's budget to prepare and execute the census in Illinois. This is the largest per-person investment made in any state in the nation. The resources are going directly to outreach and education, with grants to community organizations across the state engaged in this work, particularly in hard-to-count communities. The executive order signed by Gov. Pritzker also established a Census Office within the Department of Human Services to lead this effort and a Census Advisory Panel to guide its work.

BROADVIEW – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) held an educational town hall on cannabis and led the discussion in partnership with Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson on the implementation of the new Illinois cannabis law that goes into effect on Jan. 1.

The town hall covered the legislative, business and law enforcement perspectives of legalizing cannabis and gave residents a chance to have their questions answered.

“Mayor Thompson and I wanted to bring information on the new cannabis law to make sure our local communities understand how they can get involved in the new industry, and if they choose to, how to use cannabis within the restrictions in the law,” Lightford said.

ST. LOUIS – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) recently visited Ranken Technical College to learn more about career training opportunities offered at technical schools.

“Traditional four-year universities are not for everyone,” Lightford said. “Technical schools take that understanding and add a viable choice for young people searching for a career path. It was fascinating to see firsthand the type of instruction and career opportunities that are available to young people who enroll in these programs.”

Ranken offers degree and certificate programs in five divisions: automotive, construction, electrical, information technology and manufacturing. Students can use their degrees and certifications to become software developers, information security analysts, mechanical engineers, civil engineers, architects, IT managers, computer network architects and more.

The school offers programs for current or future students, middle or high school students, teachers, counselors and school administrators. Those programs include everything from competitions to summer camps to paid internships that help students and educators further their STEM education.

Senator Lightford has been a longtime advocate for non-traditional educational programs that meet growing economic demands and create paths to success.