CHICAGO – State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) is applauding an expansion to the state’s vote-by-mail program becoming law after Gov. JB Pritzker signed it Tuesday.

“Since everyone deserves the right to be healthy, it’s critical that we figure out a way to help people stay healthy while they exercise their right to participate in the democratic process,” Peters said. “Voting by mail is a safe, convenient way for folks to have their voices heard without having to worry about contracting COVID-19.”

The vote-by-mail expansion is part of a larger election package legislators passed in May to address specific concerns regarding voting during a global pandemic. Under the new law, local election authorities must automatically send vote-by-mail applications to everyone under their jurisdiction who voted in the 2018 general, 2019 consolidated, or 2020 primary elections, or who registered to vote after the 2020 primary.

“Many people don’t realize they even have the option to vote by mail, so automatically sending applications will help give people who are worried about getting sick while voting some peace of mind,” Peters said.

The law is effectively immediately and applies only to the 2020 General Election.

CHICAGO – State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) released the following statement after Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Fiscal Year 21 state budget into law Wednesday:

“When we passed the budget, we included funding for many important services for those who are struggling in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. At the time, we didn’t know that we were only a few weeks away from widespread protests against systemic inequality and a global fight for justice. While this budget doesn’t directly address any of the issues that demonstrators are protesting against, it does provide support to the vulnerable people that many are marching in support of. It boosts funding for mental health and substance abuse programs and provides nearly $400 million in rent and mortgage payment relief, as well as offering many other different types of assistance to the families that need it the most.”

SPRINGFIELD – The End Money Bond Coalition hosted a rally in the Capitol rotunda Tuesday in support of a measure to end cash bail in Illinois. State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago), who will sponsor the legislation in the Senate, spoke at the rally.

“We know what safety and justice looks like in our communities,” Peters said. “We know it’s a roof over your head. We know it’s a social worker at your school. We know it’s being able to drink your water. And we know that it’s not locking you up because you’re poor.”

Peters is the Chair of the Senate Special Committee on Public Safety and has made ending cash bail in Illinois his top priority for the 2020 legislative session.

SPRINGFIELD – The Trump administration announced Thursday its intention to overhaul Medicaid funding. In response, State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago), fearing for the wellbeing of the millions of people who rely on Medicaid to receive health care, released the following statement:

“Donald Trump is once again showing how out of touch he is by proposing cuts to a program that an overwhelming majority of Americans support. This is yet another attack by the president against the most vulnerable people in our communities.”

Under current federal law, states are reimbursed a set percentage for Medicaid spending by the federal government based on per-capita income. The announced plan gives states the option to receive Medicaid funding as a set amount in one lump sum irrespective of how much they actually spend in a given fiscal year.

SPRINGFIELD – A law sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) meant to protect the financial security of the formerly incarcerated is one of several new laws that took effect Jan. 1.

House Bill 900 prevents the Department of Corrections from suing recently released inmates for the cost of their incarceration, effectively banning a practice known as “pay-to-stay.”

“A practice that is as regressive and harmful as pay-to-stay has no business being part of a modern society,” Peters said. “We’re putting an end to what is basically indentured servitude and ensuring that formerly incarcerated people don’t continue to be harassed once they’ve finished serving their time.”

Another Peters law, House Bill 2665, allows minors 12 years of age and older to receive preventative treatment for sexually transmitted diseases from a physician without parental consent.

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) introduced a bill this week that redefines felony murder charges in Illinois.

The language of current state law allows prosecutors to charge someone with first-degree murder if a death occurs during the commission of another offense when acting alone, or if a third-party individual causes a death when acting within a group. The new legislation would ban prosecutors from being able to do so.

“Incarceration rates are disturbingly high as it is,” Peters said. “These laws do nothing to improve safety in our community and are not an effective way to combat the unforgivable crowding of our jails and prisons. They are quite simply not a reflection of any sort of justice we should strive for as a society.”

SPRINGFIELD – A measure sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) that will give college students who may be eligible for SNAP benefits more opportunities to learn about the program was signed by the governor and became law Friday.

“There are a lot of students who struggle to find their next meal because they’re not ever aware they’re eligible for SNAP benefits,” Peters said. “This law will help raise awareness of the program so that college kids can rely on the community around them to not go hungry.”

Senate Bill 1641 requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to identify and flag college students who could be eligible to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and requires the Commission to post notices that includes SNAP eligibility requirements and other information where students are likely to see them.

SPRINGFIELD – School districts will be required to operate with more transparency about their teacher employment data under a measure sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) that became law Friday.

“Public school class sizes have been growing larger and larger over the last several years, which makes it harder for educators to provide the quality education,” Peters said. “Communities of color are hit particularly hard by this. These students are already at a systemic disadvantage, and they deserve to have the opportunity to learn the skills they need to succeed.”