Derek Cantù
Public Affairs Reporting Graduate InternDerek Cantù is NPR Illinois' graduate student Public Affairs Reporting intern for the spring 2021 legislative session.
Derek earned a B.S. in History and Secondary Education from Bradley University and an M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction from Kansas State University.
Derek has previous experience
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A proposal in the Illinois Senate would allow noncitizens to vote in local school board elections. But even supporters of the proposal say the legislation is not yet ready for primetime. -
The Illinois General Assembly this spring approved a proposal to allow sex workers’ criminal charges expunged from their records for convictions dating back to when prostitution was classified as a felony in Illinois. -
Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed Illinois' new budget into law after lawmakers approved changes fixing massive drafting errors that would've left the state without the authority to spend money until next June. -
Like many inequalities highlighted and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, unequal internet access in rural and urban areas alike became a lightning rod as millions of Americans were learning and working from home.In an effort to close the so-called digital divide, the Federal Communications Commission is temporarily providing low-income Americans discounted Internet access. -
The Illinois State Board of Education is weighing whether to replace the state’s annual Illinois Assessment of Readiness standardized test for grades 3 through 8 with three separate tests spread out in a school year.But teacher unions and education advocacy groups claim the proposed change would amount to more class time being dedicated to test preparation. -
Illinois lawmakers want to replace a small, weathered statue of Martin Luther King Jr. across the street from the State Capitol building in Springfield and put a new one in a more prominent area. -
A measure that would cut down the license plate fee for utility trailers from $118 to $36 passed both the Illinois House and Senate over the holiday weekend — a move spurred by a flood of complaints to lawmakers after the price increased two years ago. -
In the waning two weeks of the General Assembly’s spring legislative session, Illinois Senate Republicans accused Gov. JB Pritzker of intentionally “hiding” his appointees to the state’s Prisoner Review Board from a formal confirmation by the Senate. -
The Illinois General Assembly this week approved a measure making multiple changes to election procedures, including pushing back the 2022 primary… -
The Illinois General Assembly on Friday narrowly approved a proposal calling for state sex education curriculum in grades K-12 to be “culturally competent…
