Senator Toro applauds the elimination of cash bail

CHICAGO — State Senator Natalie Toro released the following statement in response to the Illinois Supreme Court’s ruling on the pretrial release portions of the SAFE-T Act:

“I applaud today's landmark decision by the Illinois State Supreme Court upholding provisions of the SAFE-T Act that finally clear the way for Illinois to be the first state to end cash bail.

“For far too long, the cash bail system has given the wealthiest an unfair advantage within our criminal legal system. The SAFE-T Act takes the first steps to make our criminal legal system one that actually stands for justice, ensuring all folks are truly treated as innocent until proven guilty and granted the same freedoms regardless of their access to economic resources. 

“I am proud that our state’s highest court prioritized public safety over wealth in their decision. I stand with the grassroots organizers who have fought for vulnerable communities for decades in their work to eliminate cash bail. This movement has led to a monumental win in reforming our criminal legal system to stand for justice, which is just the beginning of more reforms to come.” 

Read more about the SAFE-T Act here.

• SAFE-T Act
• Public Safety
• Cash Bail

Natalie Toro sworn in as next senator of District 20

CHICAGO — On Monday night, Natalie Toro was sworn in as the state senator of the 20^th District. Senator Toro released the following statement after the ceremony:

“I am honored to serve my community as state senator and represent the neighbors I have known my entire life. I bring to this role more than a decade of experience in another area of public service — education. As a kindergarten teacher at Goethe Elementary School, I have had the privilege of supporting our young people as they grow into the best versions of themselves. I have also had to witness my students struggle with food or housing insecurity, fears for their safety from gun violence, and disparate education outcomes compared to their peers because of disinvestment and unequal resource allocations between schools. I wanted to serve as state senator to fight for policy changes that will address these systemic forces of oppression so that our children can achieve their highest potential and just be kids without these additional factors impacting their ability to learn or grow.

Read more: Natalie Toro sworn in as next senator of District 20