State Representative Tom Bennett, R-Gibson City, advanced legislation in the Illinois House last week ensuring local school districts have the flexibility they need to thoroughly discuss measures to keep students and staff safe from threats and harm.

House Bill 1498 won unanimous approval in the House State Government Administration Committee. A former educator, Bennett said it’s fitting that his first bill presented in committee is aimed at keeping students safe.

Bennett stressed that his legislation simply clarifies an existing exemption under the Illinois Open Meetings Act. The Act includes 32 reasons why a public body may hold a closed meeting, including allowing for discussions of “security procedures and the use of personnel and equipment to respond to an actual, a threatened, or a reasonably potential danger to the safety of employees, students, staff, the public, or public property.” This exemption, as it applies to school boards, has however been legally interpreted by some to only allow for closed meetings to discuss actual, existing threats, not preventive planning.

House Bill 1498 clarifies the language in the Open Meetings Act to ensure school boards are permitted to discuss preventive security planning in closed meeting. Having cleared the State Government Administration Committee, it now advances to the floor for consideration by the full House of Representatives.

Representative Tom Bennett will have a grand opening event for his Pontiac office today (Monday, 3/9/15) at 311 N. Mill Street from 2 to 4. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2:15.