In an attempt to gather a comprehensive collection of racial data, police statewide would be required to identify, as accurately as possible, the ethnicity of all arrested under legislation sponsored by State Sen. Mattie Hunter  now on its way to the governor’s desk.

“Previous to 2010, state police identified 99 percent of those arrested as either ‘Black’ or “White,’ leaving all other populations unaccounted for and ignored,” Hunter stated after her legislation passed the General Assembly. “With this measure, we will achieve greater documentation and understanding of the individuals being arrested in Illinois, for what particular crimes and be able to identify specific trends in arrests and incarceration.”

State Sen. Mattie Hunter, a constant champion for good health in the General Assembly, helped Illinois take strides toward improved public health when she passed out of the Senate four initiatives promoting awareness and education of important health issues such as asthma, breast cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

“These are all important health issues we must pay attention to and get serious about combating with increased understanding," Hunter said. "Education and greater awareness of these problems to better and save lives is our goal.”

A major accomplishment for small and minority enterprises, State Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) saw her legislation opening up greater opportunity for minority women and their businesses pass the General Assembly.

“Why should we deny minority women the ability to classify their business as a woman-owned and a minority-owned business if both these titles define them?” Hunter said. “I maintain that if a business is owned by someone who is a racial minority and female, how that enterprise is classified and marketed should be allowed to reflect that.” 

A longtime, consistent voice for public health, safety and youth issues, State Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) saw her initiative calling for prevention of Chicago’s profound youth violence problem pass the Illinois Senate.

“Youth violence has devastated our nation as homicide is now the 2nd leading cause of death for youth ages 15 to 29, and the epidemic is particularly rampant in Chicago,” Hunter said. “We must act because the fact that more adolescents are killed in Chicago than any other U.S. city is simply unacceptable. We owe it to our children to do our utmost in protecting them.”