Peoria Standard

Rep. Tom Bennett (R-Livingston) recently issued a press release announcing a change in college admission requirements starting Jan. 1, 2022. 

House Bill 3218 adds an option for students to take agricultural science courses to fulfill the 3 years of science requirement for admission to public universities in the state. It was approved by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in August 2021, according to the ILGA. 

“Minimum college preparatory curriculum requirements for admission to a public university oblige a student to complete three years of science,” according to a statement from the representative's website. “Effective January 1, a student may count an agricultural sciences class toward meeting that requirement. An agricultural education class may be counted toward the requirement for two years of electives.”

Senate Bill 2354 allows youths to take forensic speech classes to meet the university requirement that students have one speech class before they're admitted. It was also approved by Pritzker in August 2021, according to the ILGA. 

“Another new law allows students to use a  speech class to meet a graduation requirement,” the statement said. “Students may choose a forensic speech course as an elective to meet the one-year prerequisite for high school graduation.”

These bills might prove helpful to students who want to attend college in the future, although, according to the St. Louis Business Journal, college enrollment in Southern Illinois and Missouri are declining in the second year of the pandemic. 

Serving District 106, Bennett has been a representative since 2015. His district consists of 108,000 residents living in Livingston, Iroquois, Woodford, Vermillion and Ford Counties.

“There are over 25 K-12 and K-8 school districts in the 106th District,” Bennett’s website says. “People have nearby access to five community colleges, Eureka College, University of Illinois and Illinois State University. Small business and agriculture are keys to the area’s growth and prosperity.”