Robert Peters was born in 1985 with a massive speech impediment and deafness. His biological mother was addicted to drugs and alcohol. He was adopted by a social worker and a civil rights lawyer. Growing up, he witnessed the impact and devastation of the racist war on drugs. This experience, combined with the admiration for his father’s work as a civil rights and criminal defense attorney, inspired his work on criminal justice reform rooted in the safety, freedom, and wellness of all people.
A defining moment for Peters was the Great Recession. He struggled to find work and lost his parents within a year and a half of each other. He found his power through political organizing in solidarity with a variety of organizations in Chicago fighting for justice.
As a state senator, Peters has championed the end of cash bail in Illinois after years of organizing around it before becoming a Senator. He passed legislation that expanded worker protections for Black and Latino workers in temporary employment. He has championed investments in tourism, small business development, and education. In a single legislative session, Peters has passed 17 bills, as he continues to push Illinois forward as a leader in criminal justice reform and true public safety for all.
He chairs the Labor Committee in the Senate and is Chair of the Senate Black Caucus. He is focused on environmental justice, racial justice, economic freedom, and public safety for all. The official legislative site of Illinois State Senator Robert Peters.
