SPRINGFIELD – Student athletes at Illinois colleges and universities would receive compensation from the use of their name, image or likeness under a measure sponsored by Senator Napoleon Harris III (D-Harvey). Currently, college athletes cannot receive compensation for participating in the sports other than scholarships.

"I played college football for four years, and I remember the many times when my family couldn’t afford things we needed and wanted," Harris said. "However, on game days, the stadiums were packed, and the university was making millions of dollars."

Senate Bill 2278 would also prohibit athletic association or conference from preventing a school or a student from participating in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and will not affect the student's scholarship eligibility. Ultimately this measure will ok student-athletes to generate profits for themselves through the use of their names and likenesses, such as in video games.

SPRINGFIELD – South Suburban Community College is receiving $35.8 million from the Rebuild Illinois statewide construction plan to build a new allied health facility.

The new four-story facility will be approximately 130,000 square feet. It will provide the college with a cutting-edge teaching facility to train students for health care careers. The estimated cost for the project is roughly $70 million, with nearly $17 million in state funding already released and the remaining funding being provided locally.

“I’m thrilled to see Illinois investing into a state-of-the-art teaching facility in the south suburbs,” said State Senator Napoleon Harris (D-Harvey). “This new facility will provide better job opportunities and bring more resources to students who want a career in the medical industry.”