SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Kimberly A. Lightford is happy to announce that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has awarded grants to 48 communities in need of lead service line replacements, including a $50,000 grant to Melrose Park.

“This program will support communities with the necessary fund to identify and map out the types of water lines that exist in their drinking water supply,” said Lightford (D-Maywood). “By creating a full inventory of our lead lines in Illinois, we can target areas where replacements are needed most, and continue to work with communities to improve drinking water across the state.”

Melrose Park distributes water to six different public water systems in the area which include Bellwood, Maywood, Stone Park, Northlake, Hillside Berkeley Water Commission, and Leyden Township Water District.

SPRINGFIELD - In response to Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget address today, State Senator Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) issued the following statement:

“We need to make education more of a priority in Illinois and after hearing Gov’ Pritzker’s proposed budget follow through on education support for Illinois families, I am hopeful for the future of our students.

“Children’s destinies begin at birth, making it vital that education is prioritized from then until college. As a General Assembly, we will do what is right by the people of Illinois and continue to fight for equitable funding and access to education. I share in the governor’s enthusiasm for providing our youth with greater opportunities for success – from investing in early childhood education to ensuring our schools are fully funded.

SPRINGFIELD – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford was sworn in Wednesday for a new term in the Illinois General Assembly, marking the beginning of her 25^th year in the legislature.

She released the following statement after taking the oath of office:

“When I think back on the time I’ve served in the General Assembly, I think of the lives that have been changed because of the steadfast action we have taken to make Illinois a better, more inclusive and equitable state – especially for young children.

“We have passed a nation-leading equitable funding model to ensure schools are fairly funded, led the charge to give Black children opportunities for brighter success, and encouraged more minority individuals to become teachers. We have worked tirelessly to give every single child in Illinois the opportunity they deserve – and that will remain true in my future years in office.

“It is an honor to continue serving the residents of the 4^th Senate District – the possibilities of what we can accomplish in the years to come is steadfast and immense.”

SPRINGFIELD – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford – a longstanding advocate to protect a person’s right to reproductive and gender-affirming care – supported a measure Tuesday that further enshrines those rights for Illinoisans.

“As a parent of a transgender child, I have seen firsthand the bullying, the pain and the discrimination that places a dark cloud over their lives – not just in social settings, but in health care settings,” said Lightford (D-Maywood). “Just as it seemed we, as a nation, were getting more accepting – we regressed. We told people their health – their lives – don’t matter. But as a state, we took steps forward. We showed people – all people – that their health needs are worthy and will be protected.”

While Illinois already has some of the most extensive reproductive health laws protecting abortion and gender-affirming care in the country on the books, many neighboring states have fiercely diminished people’s rights and have threatened to intrude upon the rights of people in other states.