Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker Signs Bill to Make Titles for Elected Officials More Gender-Inclusive

FILE PHOTO: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker delivers remarks at the North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) 2019 legislative conference in Washington, U.S., April 9, 2019. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/File Photo

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday signed a bill to change “alderman,” a word for elected district officials in the state, to “alderperson.”

The Democratic legislation first introduced in February primarily amends the state’s election code to delay the 2022 Illinois primary until June.

Provisions mentioned toward the end of the bill, however, include the change from “alderman” to “alderperson” and “congressman” to “congressperson.”

“We see a lot of ‘hes’ and ‘hims’” in state statute, said Democratic state Rep. Maurice West, who co-sponsored the bill with Democratic state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, said early this month, according to WTTW, a Chicago-based PBS affiliate.

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SOURCE: FOX 6 Milwaukee, Audrey Conklin