Springfield– In an effort to combat a tactic that allows businesses to receive incentives from the government without public knowledge, State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) is sponsoring a bill to prevent the state or any local unit of government from entering into a contract that would include a non-disclosure agreement in economic deals.

“Eliminating non-disclosure agreements will help bring vital transparency and accountability and ensure that local communities have a say in local development,” Peters said. “This is not just a Chicago or Illinois problem, but also a nationwide issue where we frequently see companies making deals they wish to keep out of the public eye.”

Senate Bill 3038 would prevent the state as well as local governments from entering into non-disclosure agreements in economic development deals, eliminating a tactic that frequently allows businesses to secretly lobby while extracting sweetheart deals without the knowledge or input of local residents. Similar legislation has also been introduced in Florida and New York.

Nationwide, state and local governments spend tens of billions of dollars every year on economic development subsidies, according to the American Economic Liberties Project. Non-disclosure agreements help facilitate those subsidy deals by keeping key details, such as the identity of the businesses receiving taxpayer support, secret from the public.

“Public money deserves public scrutiny,” Peters said. “Keeping the government contracts that our governments enter into a secret allows states and local governments to be played against one another. Taxpayers deserve basic transparency from their economic development agencies.”

Chicago – More communities are a step closer to addressing the problem of firearm violence related crimes after State Senator Robert Peters’ (D-Chicago) measure to bring gun violence prevention training and services to more areas was signed into law.

“The recent rise in gun violence will not be addressed until we change the policies that disproportionately have a negative impact on Black and Brown communities,” Peters said. “Soon, we will be able to work hand-in-hand with affected communities, intervening with at risk youth, supporting survivors and working from the bottom-up rather than the top-down. People in Illinois deserve public safety for all, not theater.”

The new law will expand upon the Reimagine Public Safety Act to increase the number of communities that can receive grant money for gun violence prevention, based on population size. The law will also allow for five more communities to be eligible statewide and would allow organizations to apply directly for training and technical assistance from contractors.

Peters championed the Reimagine Public Safety Act to address gun violence in Illinois by working with the communities most affected. The act was originally signed into law in June 2021 and created the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention to issue grants and provide support to violence prevention organizations in communities affected by gun violence. The measure signed today expands upon the act.

“Many Illinois communities have been impacted by an increase in gun violence,” Peters said. “True public safety belongs to the people, and it demands that we address the underlying causes of violence at the grassroots level.”

House Bill 2791 was signed today and takes immediate effect.  

SPRINGFIELD – More communities would be able to address the problem of gun violence under State Senator Robert Peters’ (D-Chicago) measure to expand the number of communities that are eligible for gun violence prevention grant money and to make it easier to receive technical and training services under the Reimagine Public Safety Act.

“We should address the problem of gun violence in Illinois by supporting affected communities directly, not punish them,” Peters said. “True public safety belongs to the people, and it demands that we address the underlying causes of violence at the grassroots level.”

CHICAGO – With the second round of Back to Business grants currently accepting applications, State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) is pleased to announce nearly $1 million in grants awarded to businesses in the area he represents.

“The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the most difficult times in recent memory, and a lot of small businesses have been struggling to keep the lights on and the doors open,” Peters said. “The people of our community rely on so many of these businesses for their everyday needs, and I’m glad to see them get the support they need through these grants.”