CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) has announced he will serve as chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee in the 102^nd General Assembly.

“I’m honored to have been appointed as chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee,” Bennett said Monday in a press release. “Higher education in all forms is vital for the workforce and economy, and I’m eager to serve in this new role.”

The release says that the Higher Education Committee mainly deals with laws that will affect both state and private institutions.

Bennett says he is a longtime advocate for higher education institutions and has worked on laws that provide opportunities for all students to access secondary education.

The district Bennett represents covers the University of Illinois, Parkland College, and Danville Area Community College, “which has given him a deep understanding of the needs of Illinois schools, staff, and students,” the release says.  

“As committee chair, Bennett aims to create an equitable, accessible, and innovative higher education ecosystem across Illinois that ensures students and communities thrive,” the release says. “Bennett has previously served as chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee and Senate Criminal Law Committee.”