Delivered via email: January 19, 2024
Spring Legislative Session 2024 Begins
The 2024 Spring Legislative Session kicked off Tuesday, January 16. The House and Senate were both in session for brief periods on January 16 and 17, but canceled session on January 18. During those two days, a few resolutions were passed with substantive work being held over until they return February 6. It was overall a quiet week with neither the House nor the Senate Education Committees meeting.
This year, the Joint Committee on Legislative Support Services has authorized the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) to implement changes to its bill drafting system and procedures. These improvements are intended to set clear deadlines for bills to be drafted by LRB, streamline the bill drafting process, and better serve General Assembly members and legislative staff.
A handful of new bills have been introduced to date, but the LRB bill request deadline is set for January 19, so we anticipate many more bills to be released after that date. The IASB Governmental Relations team is currently reviewing the new bills and will keep members informed when they are assigned to committees. Over the next weeks, staff will be working collaboratively with other school management organizations, education stakeholders, and legislators to amend any existing bills that may move forward this spring , always keeping our members’ best interests at the forefront.
Topics anticipated to be discussed this spring include Chicago Public Schools board member elections, Invest in Kids, student discipline, curricular mandates, Tier 2 pensions, and school board member mandated training. IASB’s three legislative priorities for this session are school safety and student wellness, supporting a sustainable, fully funded Evidence-Based Funding model, and mandate reform, all aligning to IASB Position Statements approved by our members.
Advocacy Ambassadors Program
With a flurry of topics to be discussed this session, IASB Governmental Relations is looking for Advocacy Ambassadors. The IASB Advocacy Ambassador Program is a grassroots program designed to build relationships between school board members and state and federal legislators. Advocacy Ambassadors help IASB meet its advocacy goals by sharing personal stories and expertise on policies related to education. No experience is necessary to become an Advocacy Ambassador – all you need is your voice, your passion, and commitment to making a difference. Sign up today!
Be on the lookout for advocacy opportunities this spring and contact our staff with any questions. The Governmental Relations team is honored to serve our members this year and looks forward to a successful session!