American politician
Kimberly Ann Lightford
(born May 10, 1968) is a
Democratic
member of the
Illinois Senate
, representing the 4th district since 1998. She is Senate Majority Leader and also serves on Labor, Education, Executive, Financial Institutions and Redistricting committees. She is also chair of the Senate Black Caucus and co-chair of the Illinois Commission of Intergovernmental Cooperation.
Biography
[
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]
Lightford attended
Proviso East High School
before going on to
Western Illinois University
, where she was initiated as a member of
Delta Sigma Theta
sorority. After college, she attended graduate school at the
University of Illinois Springfield
where she earned a master's degree in Public Administration (MPA) and completed an internship with the
Illinois
Department of Corrections. After graduation, she accepted a position with the
Department of Corrections
in Chicago. She successfully ran for Maywood Village Trustee after encouragement from her state representative. When State Senator
Earlean Collins
announced plans to retire, Lightford was elected in March 1998 and began serving in November, two months before the traditional inauguration, when Collins retired.
In July 2016, the Illinois Senate passed a stop-gap temporary budget bill. Within a few minutes, Lightford addressed the Senate. In her remarks, she said that legislators needed to get paid for their work. Although the only body in Illinois responsible for the state budget is the state legislature, Lightford said, "And I think it’s wrong for our income to be held for months, and months, and months, which is another game that’s being played."
[1]
In 2018, Governor-elect
J. B. Pritzker
appointed Lightford to the Educational Success transition committee, which is responsible for state education policy.
[2]
After Illinois Senate President
John Cullerton
announced his retirement, Lightford became a candidate to replace him. If she had been selected, she would have been the first woman to hold the position. She was ultimately beaten out for the position by
Don Harmon
.
[3]
After losing to Harmon in closed-door Democratic Party negotiations, Lightford herself placed Harmon's name into nomination at the formal vote for Senate President.
[4]
Lightford was the victim of a
carjacking
on December 22, 2021, during which her husband was shot at.
[5]
Her husband returned gunfire at the carjackers.
[6]
She said, "I thought for sure they were gonna shoot me down... It was a lot of shots being fired. I think they were shooting at my husband and me and luckily enough my husband is
concealed and carry
and he was able to protect us."
[7]
As of July 2022, Senator Lightford is a member of the following Illinois Senate committees:
[8]
- Appropriations - Personnel and Procurement Committee (SAPP-SAPP)
- Appropriations - Education Committee (SAPP-SAED)
- (Chairwoman of) Assignments Committee (SCOA)
- Education Committee (SESE)
- Executive Committee (SEXC)
- Executive - Cannabis Subcommittee (SEXC-SEOC)
- (Chairwoman of) Executive - Government Operations Subcommittee (SEXC-SEGO)
- Executive - Special Issues Subcommittee (SEXC-SESI)
- Higher Education Committees (SCHE)
- Labor Committee (SLAB)
- (Chairwoman of) Redistricting - Chicago West and Western Cook County Subcommittee (SRED-SRWW)
Political positions
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Lightford supports the right of law abiding citizens to carry a concealed handgun.
[6]
[7]
Coronavirus conspiracy theory
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In a May 15, 2020, television interview, Lightford claimed that the
COVID-19
virus was "man-made" and that "someone was in cahoots for some reason and I think it just got a little bit out of control." Leading medical experts who have examined the genetic structure of the virus say that it could not have been created in a lab. Later, Lightford admitted that she had no evidence to support her comments.
[9]
See also
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References
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- ^
"Sen. Kimberly Lightford's Questionable Campaign Spending"
. Archived from
the original
on October 13, 2016
. Retrieved
June 5,
2022
.
- ^
Miller, Rich (November 27, 2018).
"Pritzker transition announces Educational Success Committee"
.
Capitol Fax
. Retrieved
November 27,
2018
.
- ^
"Harmon wins top Senate post"
.
Oak Park Journal
. January 20, 2020
. Retrieved
April 3,
2020
.
- ^
Sfondeles, Tina (January 19, 2020).
"Illinois Senate president race: Accusations of personal betrayal and payback fly furiously"
.
Chicago Sun-Times
. Retrieved
April 3,
2020
.
- ^
Gorner, Jeremy (December 22, 2021).
"State Sen. Kimberly Lightford carjacked in suburban Broadview"
.
The Chicago Tribune
. Retrieved
December 23,
2021
.
- ^
a
b
State Sen. Kimberly Lightford’s husband exchanged gunfire with at least one suspect during carjacking earlier this week, police say
, Chicago Tribune, December 23, 2021
- ^
a
b
State Sen. Kimberly Lightford recounts harrowing carjacking details: 'I begged them not to shoot us'
, ABC 7 Chicago, December 23, 2021
- ^
"Illinois General Assembly - Senator Committees"
.
ilga.gov
. Retrieved
July 4,
2022
.
- ^
Sepeda-Miller, Kiannah (May 21, 2020).
"PolitiFact / No, the novel coronavirus was not 'man-made'
"
.
PolitiFact
. Retrieved
October 22,
2020
.
External links
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