SPRINGFIELD — When the Illinois Lottery was established, its purpose was to provide extra revenue for schools, but those funds have been often used to replace funds from other sources. Reliance on lottery revenue to fund local schools could soon come to an end under a proposal that was approved in the Senate today.

House Bill 213, led by Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood), ensures that any money transferred to the Common School Fund from the State Lottery Fund shall serve as a supplement, not a replacement for, any other money due to the Common School Fund.

“It is time we used lottery money as it was intended,” Lightford said. “Our school system is underfunded, and we cannot continue to allow our children to lose out on vital resources they need for success.”

Currently, 24 percent of lottery ticket revenue is deposited into the Common School Fund. In fiscal year 15, that amount was $679 million of the total $2.85 billion in lottery sales.

The measure will now head back to the House on concurrence.

SPRINGFIELD- Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) released the following statement after supporting a number of measures approved in the Senate today that would enact a full balanced budget for the first time in nearly two years:

“When we continue to do nothing our children lose, our seniors lose and our neediest residents lose. We made an effort today to prevent Governor Rauner from causing more suffering to our most vulnerable populations with a plan that gives our state stability.”

SPRINGFIELD- Children in public preschools are more than three times more likely to be expelled than children in kindergarten through 12th grades, according to a report by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Illinois. Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) leads a proposal that would keep more at-risk preschool students in the classroom.

The proposal, which was approved in the Senate today, would prohibit the expulsion of children enrolled in early childhood programs receiving grants from the Illinois State Board of Education. The legislation focuses on transitioning children to programs that better fit a child’s needs.

SPRINGFIELD- The Illinois Senate recently approved legislation that would restructure the way money is distributed to school districts throughout the state based on need. Senate Bill 1 uses an evidence-based model to determine where state dollars are most effective by placing school districts in three tiers and prioritizing those with the most need, which is determined by reviewing 27 elements of education.

Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) gave the following speech during debate on Senate Bill 1: