Austin Weekly
A bill sponsored by state Sen. Kimberly Lightford (D-4th) designed to help eliminate the racial disparities in school discipline outcomes in the state was signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner last month. The bill passed the General Assembly with bipartisan approval in late spring.
A statement released by Lightford's office cites a 2012 study, which found that Illinois leads the nation in the number of black students it suspends and has the widest disparity among states between black and white student suspensions...