Remembering State Sen. Scott Bennett
Illinois state Sen. Scott Bennett, D-Champaign, speaks to lawmakers while on the Senate floor during session at the Illinois state Capitol on May 4, 2016, in Springfield, Ill. Bennett, a key legislative negotiator on clarifying the landmark SAFE-T Act criminal justice overhaul that takes effect Jan. 1, 2023, died Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. He was 45. AP Photo/Seth Perlman
Illinois Sen. Scott Bennett, a key legislative negotiator in clarifying the landmark SAFE-T Act criminal justice overhaul, has died.He was 45. Stacy Bennett said her husband died Friday, December 9, 2022 at Carle Foundation Hospital in Champaign from complications of a large brain tumor. She said the family is shocked by the suddenness of his death. She said Bennett worked “to find solutions to society’s most pressing issues by finding common ground and compromise.” Bennett was an assistant Champaign County state's attorney when he was appointed to the state Senate in 2015, replacing the current state treasurer. Bennett was elected to the seat three times. - Associated Press
In August 2020, Lamont Holden, University of Illinois music technology professor and guest host of The 21st, wrote a News Gazette article about being Black in America following the murder of George Floyd. After reading it, Sen. Bennett reached out to Holden to have a conversation. Both of them joined The 21st to discuss canabis policy, gun violence and improving community relations with law enforcement.
Click here to hear the August 2021 interview with Sen. Bennett.
Guests
State Senator Chapin Rose
(R) 51st District
Michael Frerichs
(D) Illinois State Treasurer