SPRINGFIELD- Senate Democrats approved a measure today that would secure the right for people with disabilities to select a home care provider of their choice and determine the number of hours worked weekly by the provider.

“Our focus should be on providing people with disabilities the best possible care,” said Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood). “The policy the Department of Human Services is trying to implement violates the law, shuts out stakeholders and costs more in the long run.”

SPRINGFIELD – A 2012 study found that Illinois suspends more African-American students than any other state in the U.S., including a Black-White suspension disparity that is the highest in the country. To address this all-too-apparent problem and the overall frequency of out-of-school discipline, a new law that recently went into effect will help to ensure that all students are in school and off the streets as much as possible.

“Our education system has failed many children by simply denying them the opportunity to sit in a classroom,” said Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford, sponsor of the successful legislation. “We’re moving toward a disciplinary system that prioritizes educating students by keeping them in school.”