Suburban lawmakers split on party lines over legislation on youth suicide prevention in Illinois

Suburban lawmakers split along party lines Wednesday in a House committee vote on requiring protocols for preventing youth suicides and recognizing risk in K-12 schools.

Suburban Republicans worried the legislation would add liability to school districts, while suburban Democrats unanimously backed the proposal for the Illinois State Board of Education to set up protocols for teachers and staff to follow on youth suicide prevention.

"We need to have the school districts' feet held to the fire and no longer can we say, 'Well, I didn't really (know), I wasn't sure.' No more wishy-washiness," said Rep. Kathleen Willis, a Democrat from Addison. "We have youth calling out for help and they're not getting the help they need."

Lawmakers met in the Elementary and Secondary Education: School Curriculum and Policy Committee to discuss the legislation, House Bill 577, which would set up methods of prevention and intervention educators would have to use in identifying students at increased risk for suicide. Risk factors acknowledged in the bill include: mental health and substance abuse disorders, self-harm, out-of-home placement, homelessness, member of the LGBTQ community, bereaved, medical conditions or disability.

The legislation was introduced by Chicago Democrat Lindsey LaPointe and was co-sponsored by Democrat Stephanie Kifowit of Oswego. Eight suburban Democrats voted yes on the bill: Deb Conroy of Elmhurst, Fred Crespo of Hoffman Estates, Natalie Manley of Joliet, Joyce Mason of Gurnee, Rita Mayfield of Waukegan, Michelle Mussman of Schaumburg, Willis, and Janet Yang-Rohr of Naperville.

Rep. Steve Reick of Woodstock and Rep. Thomas Morrison of Palatine, the two suburban Republicans on the committee, voted no. Reick said he supported what the bill was trying to do, but worried it would open up school districts to lawsuits.

"What we're doing is setting up increased liability of school districts when or if a child tragically takes his or her own life and it is subsequently found that these markers were there but were not identified," Reick said.

Reick said a better alternative would be to pass resolutions that encourage school districts to adopt such protocols as part of their individual policies rather than as a state requirement.

The final vote of the bill was 19 yes, three no. It now will go to the House floor.