SPRINGFIELD – Each year, thousands of formerly incarcerated individuals struggle to get back on their feet, facing issues to obtain housing, work, medical care and more. A leading factor: a lack of an ID.

State Senator Willie Preston is leading the charge to create a smoother transition back into society by providing them with a form of identification that is necessary for many everyday activities.

"Without a State ID, individuals who are released from jail face significant barriers when trying to secure housing, employment, or even something as basic as opening a bank account,” said Preston (D-Chicago). “By providing them with IDs prior to release, we are giving them a better chance to contribute to society and rebuild their lives."

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Willie Preston shed light on disparities in Illinois’ education system by passing a measure to increase educator diversity by overhauling the outdated teacher evaluation system.

“Increasing diversity in schools should be a priority for Illinois to help the next generation connect with each other and understand different perspectives to develop new ideas and perceptions,” said Preston (D-Chicago). “We cannot uphold that if we are inadvertently pushing teachers out due to outmoded systems.”

Supported by the Chicago Teachers Union, House Bill 3570 would require the Illinois State Board of Education to analyze and assess teacher evaluation data by breaking down information by race and ethnicity of students, teachers, as well as the free and reduced-price lunch status of students. This crucial legislation will empower non-tenured teachers who work in challenging environments and level the playing field for all teachers.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Willie Preston passed a measure to remove all references to the death penalty in criminal statutes.

“The language we use influences attitudes and behavior,” said Preston (D-Chicago). “It’s important that we clean up the language used in our laws to avoid creating unconscious biases.”

HB 3762 makes improvements to the language used in certain criminal laws by removing the use of all references to the death penalty. Capital punishment has been abolished in the Illinois since 2011. Removing references that refer to death sentencing and the type of drugs that can be administered to cause death constitutes a vital component of the Illinois culture to avoid unintentional predispositions when determining sentencing for defendants.

“How we choose to write and speak on laws plays a big role in how others see the law,” said Preston. “We may perceive something to be harmless, when in reality we are unknowingly influencing the world around us. These improvements help mitigate that.”

House Bill 3762 passed the Senate Thursday.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Willie Preston passed a measure through the Senate Education Committee to increase educator diversity by overhauling the outdated teacher evaluation system.

“I recognize that diversity is necessary to ensure that students are given the perspectives of multiple backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities to better prepare themselves for the workforce and to have a more well-rounded education,” said Preston (D-Chicago). “We can start diversifying our educator workforce by making necessary changes to the current educator evaluation system in place.”

House Bill 3570 would require the Illinois State Board of Education to analyze and assess teacher evaluation data by breaking down information by race and ethnicity of students, teachers, as well as the free and reduced-price lunch status of students. This crucial legislation will empower non-tenured teachers who work in challenging environments and level the playing field for all teachers.