SPRINGFIELD — For the first time in nearly 75 years, Illinois will see strengthened protections for youth in the workforce thanks to State Senator Robert Peters.

“Young people in the current workforce encounter challenges unique to their generation,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “These updates to our child labor laws are needed to safeguard their rights and well-being, ensuring our youngest residents have a healthy balance between their work responsibilities, schooling, extracurricular activities and personal lives.”

With support from the AFL-CIO and the Illinois Department of Labor, Peters spearheaded the overhaul of the Illinois Child Labor Law to provide more protections for youth in the workforce by addressing working conditions, age requirements and sectors prone to exploitation.

The new law extends protections to kids not enrolled in a traditional public or private school, requiring they end work by 7 p.m. on school nights. It also adds new positions to the list of prohibited jobs for minors and jobs requiring adult supervision, such as in cannabis shops and adult facilities, and imposes increased penalties for violations.

The law further addresses children who work as influencers online, specifically in vlogs, requiring any child under 16 who appears in online vlogs to be compensated based on the number of views a video receives and how many minutes they appear in the video.

CHICAGO — State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago), Senate Chair of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, issued the following statement in response to the body camera footage which led to the indictment of the ex-deputy who shot and killed Sonya Massey in her home:

“This video is sickening. It is despicable and disgusting to see such brutal violence toward an innocent Black woman. How did this person ever become a law enforcement officer?

“This is why we fought for increased transparency.

“This is why we fought for body camera requirements.

“This is why we fought to end cash bail to keep dangerous people detained.

“But arresting and detaining the perpetrator isn’t the end. Justice demands answers and accountability. We need to know how and why someone capable of such a horrible act was given a badge and a gun in the first place.

“The repeated murders of unarmed Black people across the country is sickening and emotionally traumatizing. Sonya Massey is dead because she called 911 for help. Our communities deserve better. We stand with the Springfield community and the Massey family.

“May Sonya Massey’s memory be a blessing and bring comfort to those who knew her.”

CHICAGO — Today, State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) released the following statement following the signing of his historic legislation – the Healthcare Protection Act – to reform predatory health insurance practices and protect patients:

“Like so many Illinois residents, I know the anxiety and fear that comes with navigating our health care system – especially right now as my wife and I are looking to have children in the near future and exploring fertility treatment options.

“It is hard enough trying to navigate the day in and day out of life – our health care policies and procedures shouldn’t add to that. Insurance is supposed to ease the burden of accessing health care, not create further obstacles.

CHICAGO – Building upon the smart infrastructure investments supported by State Senator Robert Peters, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced an investment of $101 million in road and bridge improvement projects across the 13th District.

“Thanks to Rebuild Illinois, we will see some much-needed improvements to our roads and bridges,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “These investments allow us to put in the work to preserve the historic value of our roads and increase safety for residents.”

As part of IDOT’s latest Multi-Year Plan under Rebuild Illinois, the district Peters represents will see four infrastructure projects totaling $101 million next year.