SPRINGFIELD – Illinois residents 21 and older could soon be able to purchase and possess cannabis legally under legislation approved by the Senate on Wednesday.

Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) voted in support of the legislation that creates an automatic expungement process, a Social Equity Program and a vocational training pilot program.

“Minority communities have struggled for decades under laws that overly criminalized cannabis,” Lightford said. “We made sure to include social justice aspects that work towards equity for our communities and start to make right the wrongs caused by the prohibition of cannabis.”

SPRINGFIELD – Children taken into protective custody under suspicion of abuse could soon take part in a forensic interview without parental consent as a result of legislation by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood).

House Bill 909, approved by the Senate on Friday, addresses issues in cases where an abused minor’s parents do not wish for the child to participate in a criminal investigation that may implicate a family member or close friend.

“Children need to feel safe and empowered to report their abuser, and most importantly, have the opportunity to end their abuse,” Lightford said. “By removing parental consent, we are ensuring that no child will be forced to stay silent.”

A forensic interview is an interview between a trained forensic interviewer and a child in which the interviewer obtains information in an unbiased and fact-finding manner, with the goal of supporting accurate and fair decision-making by caseworkers in the criminal justice and child protection systems.

The measure moves to the governor for final approval.

The West Suburban Medical Center is hosting its Annual Cancer Survivor Celebration on June 7. If you are a cancer survivor, please call to reserve a spot.

SPRINGFIELD – To decrease the use of suspensions and expulsions for student discipline, Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) is leading legislation that requires school districts to report the number of days missed for disciplinary reasons.

“Losing time in the classroom has not proven to be a successful disciplinary measure for students,” Lightford said. “Our children have real issues that need addressing and taking a timeout is not going to help. They need access to resources that support their mental health, and get them on track to learn.”

House Bill 2084 requires the Illinois Board of Education to collect information from school districts on the amount of days missed to suspensions, how many arrest were made on school grounds and other related incidents for the board’s annual report.