Welch Statement on Student Athlete Endorsement Act

State Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, issued the following statement Wednesday after the Legislature adjourned the fall legislative session without the Senate passing House Bill 3904, the Student Athlete Endorsement Act:

“I’m very disappointed that we were not able to get this reform that brings equity and fairness to college athletes in Illinois sent to the governor’s desk for his signature.

“It’s unacceptable that the NCAA, collegiate athletic conferences and universities are earning billions of dollars every year, while student athletes are prohibited from earning a few extra bucks from working at a meet and greet at a local business.

“I would like to thank Governor Pritzker and all the stakeholders who worked so hard to pass this bill out of the House. And I look forward to continuing our fight in January of next year to do the right thing, get this bill signed into law, and give college athletes the opportunity to receive the compensation that they deserve.”

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Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

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