Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, State Senator and Majority Caucus Chair Mattie Hunter, and State Representative and Chair of the Illinois House Black Caucus Kam Buckner to be Durbin’s special guests during day one of Judge Jackson’s historic nomination hearings
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, will host Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton (D-IL), Illinois State Senator and Majority Caucus Chair Mattie Hunter (D-IL-3), and Illinois State Representative and Chair of the Illinois House Black Caucus Kam Buckner (D-IL-26) today at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.
“Today is an historic moment as the Senate Judiciary Committee begins the hearings for Judge Jackson’s nomination to the Supreme Court,” said Durbin. “It is my honor to host exemplary Illinois leaders Lieutenant Governor Stratton, State Senator Hunter, and State Representative Buckner in Washington today to share in this history-making hearing. Representation matters—and Illinois is lucky to have these three tireless leaders in the ranks of our State government. With Judge Jackson’s confirmation, the Supreme Court would come closer to fully reflecting the diversity of our great nation.”
Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Stratton previously served in the Illinois House of Representatives before being sworn in as Illinois’ 48th Lieutenant Governor and first Black woman to hold the position. In her role, she leads the Justice, Equity and Opportunity Initiative, and chairs the Illinois Council on Women and Girls, the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council, and the Illinois River Coordinating Council. She currently sits on the Executive Committee of the National Lieutenant Governors Association as the Treasurer. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and DePaul University’s College of Law.
Representing Chicago, Hunter has served in the Illinois General Assembly since 2003. In addition to her position as Majority Caucus Chair, Hunter is the Vice-Chair of the Ethics and Executive Appointments Committees and is a member of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. During her career, Hunter has focused her attention on protecting schools, increasing public safety, creating economic opportunities, expanding access to health care, and fighting for equality.
A native Chicago Southsider, Buckner sits on the Illinois House of Representatives’ Judiciary – Civil and Judiciary – Criminal Committees and serves as the Chair of the Illinois House Black Caucus. Prior to his election to the Illinois House of Representatives, Buckner was Executive Director of World Sport Chicago, the non-profit legacy of Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympic Games, which provides positive life skills training for underserved Chicago youth through sports.
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