Sen. Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) led a discussion on Friday in a Senate committee about a bill she’s sponsoring that would let non-citizens vote in local school board elections. 

With the legislation to make Chicago’s school board an elected body on its way to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk, lawmakers have turned their attention to a bill that would allow non-citizens to vote for members of the new board.  

On Friday, the Senate Human Rights Committee held a subject matter hearing on SB 1565. Sponsored by Sen. Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago), the legislation would change state law to make all school board races in Illinois “non-State” elections, which would allow non-citizens to vote. Legislators have not indicated when the bill may come up for a vote.