Two legislative proposals have been introduced which aim to ban the imposition of monetary penalties or charges on students by school administrators. These bills, identified as House Bill 2502 and Senate Bill 1519, come in the wake of a comprehensive twelve-month inquiry. The investigation revealed the problematic trend of school administrators punishing students with tickets for in-school behavior, a practice not allowed under Illinois law. Rather than imposing fines directly, they enlist legal authorities to issue these tickets for local ordinance violations within the school groundwork.
The inquiry shed light on the fact that between 2019 and 2021, an alarming total of 11,800 tickets had been handed out to pupils. Moreover, the probe revealed an institutional bias against Black students who were ticketed twice as much as their white counterparts. Breonna Roberts, who leads the Education task force for Faith Coalition, identified this skewed system of punishment as a manifestation of systemic poverty.
Roberts voiced concerns over the negative psychological impact of such punitive measures on students. She warned that subjecting young learners to criminal labeling could potentially damage their self-image. Being in such harshly punitive environment, students might begin to associate themselves with the imposed identity of a ‘criminal’, which could have severe repercussions on their mental health and overall development.
Rep. La Shawn Ford from Chicago, the house sponsor of the bill, expressed his belief that levying fines fail to address the root causes that lead to students’ rule-breaking actions. In Ford’s opinion, schools should rely on disciplinary measures specific to the educational setting, provide educational interventions, and make use of restorative justice programs.
Ford argued by providing an example of a student caught vaping, there’s no advantage to the student by issuing a ticket. Rather, the incident should be considered as an indicator of a potential problem which could warrant a referral for professional help. The primary aim of educational institutions, he stressed, should be to offer assistance to students instead of pushing them towards what is often referred to as the school-to-prison pipeline.
In her capacity as the government affairs director for Stand for Children Illinois, Aimee Galvin explained that the legislative proposal would only serve to prevent the imposition of fees and fines for violations of municipal regulations. Such violations are usually centered around vaping or unruly behavior on part of the student. Galvin elucidated that typical incidents like carrying a cell phone in class, tardiness, or even serious offenses like assaulting a teacher are not covered under municipal violations.
She clarified that these types of offenses are completely unrelated to the scope of the proposed bills. The latter cater to grave offences like possessing harmful substances, firearms, or engaging in physical violence, situations in which school districts can still involve the police. In such serious crime circumstances, Galvin assured, school districts would continue to have the authority to engage with law enforcement agents.
Working mothers in Illinois could be entitled to a paid 30-minute break for lactation or nursing purposes, according to Senate Bill 212. The bill’s advocate, Sen. Laura Fine, expressed her personal connection to the matter, stating she would have benefitted from such a law during her own motherhood journey.
Sen. Fine shared her personal experience, talking about the struggles she faced while trying to breastfeed her children while working, without a dedicated space or time provided. She noted that she sought shelter in bathrooms and took breaks whenever possible, even stopping breastfeeding prematurely when the circumstances became insurmountable.
The senator has already discussed the bill with various business owners, whose responses have been largely favorable. A local Springfield resident, CheVaughn Starling-Jones, shared her support for the bill, highlighting how it would make rearing her second child less challenging.
Starling-Jones recalled her relinquished plans of breastfeeding her first child due to work-related stress. The added strain of managing her professional commitments and breastfeeding had proven to be too taxing. She expressed her hope that the upcoming legislature would make her second experience less daunting, particularly given the economic imperative to work.
Another bill under consideration would ensure hypoallergenic baby formula, if prescribed by a physician, is covered under the state’s Medicaid program. Sen. Doris Turner, who proposed this bill, mentioned it was inspired by a discussion with a constituent who had to pay $60 for a limited three-day supply of hypoallergenic formula.
According to Sen. Turner, some parents might already be eligible for the Food Assistance for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, which covers some types of specialized formulas. However, she noted that the formula prescribed by doctors may not fall under the categories covered by the WIC program.
House Republicans voiced criticisms of the TRUST Act and indicated their desire for it to be repealed, as it stops local police from enforcing federal immigration laws. The act was specifically criticized by House Minority Leader Tony McCombie.
Meanwhile, a newly released study indicated that retail contributes more than 10% to Illinois’ GDP. The study, carried out by the University of Cincinnati Economics Center using 2022 data, was commissioned by the Illinois Retail Merchants Association. The findings revealed that retail businesses have generated $7.3 billion in income and sales tax revenue in 2022 alone.