SPRINGFIELD — Taking a significant step toward correcting a historic wrong, legislation that would return ancestral lands to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation cleared the Senate on Sunday. The initiative, led by State Senator Mark Walker, would transfer state-owned lands comprising Shabbona Lake and State Park in DeKalb County to the tribe.

“This is an opportunity to right a past injustice and honor the sovereignty of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation,” said Walker (D-Arlington Heights). “By supporting the creation of the tribe’s reservation, we are making strides toward reconciliation while fostering a partnership with Indigenous communities.”

Senate Bill 867 would authorize the state to transfer approximately 1,500 acres of land that is now Shabbona Lake and State Park to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources would enter into a land-management agreement with the Potawatomi regarding how the park would be managed in the future.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS — Mark L. Walker was sworn in as the new state senator for the 27th District on Saturday.

Walker, who represented the 53rd House District since 2019, replaces Ann Gillespie who resigned her seat to become director of the Illinois Department of Insurance.

“I’m deeply honored to have been appointed as the new state senator for the 27th District,” said Walker (D-Arlington Heights). “Former Senator Gillespie leaves behind a huge legacy, but I’m excited to represent the residents of the 27th District, advocating for a better Illinois for all.”

While in the House, Walker served many of the communities within the 27th Senate District, bringing to this role continuity for the residents of the Northwest Suburbs.

A Vietnam veteran, Walker sits on the Senate Veterans Committee, as well as the Early Childhood Education, Financial Institutions and Revenue Committees.