Harris proposal to ease Harvey’s pension crisis passes committee

• Pensions
• Harvey

SPRINGFIELD – On April 10, the City of Harvey announced it would be laying off 40 employees, including nearly half of its police and fire staff, due to a state law that intercepts payments from municipalities who do not make their obligated pension payments.

Since then, State Senator Napoleon Harris III (D-Harvey) has been working to find a way to make this process more manageable for distressed municipalities like Harvey.

“It’s unfair for the public safety of the people of Harvey to be put at stake because of a state law that requires much more than the municipality can handle,” Harris said. “I am going to continue working on this issue because I want to ensure that the people of Harvey aren’t being penalized for living in a poor community.”

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Harris measure requires universities to offer Black history

• Higher Education

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Napoleon Harris III (D-Harvey) is lead sponsor of legislation that would require every community college and public university to offer a course studying the events of Black History.

“Education is the only way we can combat negative African-American stereotypes seen on the news, social media and in movies,” Harris said. “It should be a priority for our universities to offer a course that teaches students about our culture and the contributions we’ve made to society.”

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Harris: Supreme Court decision allows Illinois to legalize sports betting

• Gaming
• Sports Betting

SPRINGFIELD – The state of Illinois could look to legalize sports betting after the United States Supreme Court struck down a federal law Monday that prohibited the practice.

“We’ve been working on legislation to legalize sports betting in Illinois in anticipation that the Supreme Court would strike down the federal law,” said State Senator Napoleon Harris (D-Harvey), former NFL Linebacker and sponsor of Illinois’ sports gambling measure. “This decision puts us on a clear path for negotiating the issue.”

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Harris: Public universities should offer Black history course

• Higher Education

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Napoleon Harris III (D-Harvey) is lead sponsor of legislation that would require every community college and public university to offer a course studying the events of Black History.

“We hear a lot of misinformation these days about the history of African Americans on television, social media and the internet in general,” Harris said. “The only way to combat that ignorance is to ensure that the young people of our state have access to and take time to learn about the contributions and struggles of Black people throughout American history.”

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