EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – State Rep. Katie Stuart, D- Edwardsville, met with Madison County Police Chiefs and Illinois State Police last week to discuss public safety funding and her legislation to keep officers safe.

“I appreciate the work our local police chiefs do to protect our community,” Stuart said. “I am working to ensure our police have the resources they need to keep our families safe and continue doing their jobs effectively.”

Stuart supports a budget that fully funds public safety initiatives so local police can better protect their communities. Additionally, Stuart sponsored House Bill 778, which would help protect police by making it a hate crime to commit a crime against an officer because of their profession.

Stuart is also a sponsor of Senate Bill 207, which would instruct the Illinois Lottery to offer a special scratch-off ticket with proceeds to go to the Criminal Justice Information Projects Fund and be used to help fund police memorials.

“Legislation like this helps keep our communities safe by giving our local police the resources they need to get the job done,” Stuart said. “It is important, especially now, that we continue to invest in public safety.”