State Sen. Robert Peters (D-13th) has been named the chair of the Public Safety Committee, now a permanent body the upper chamber after meeting as a special committee in the last General Assembly.

During the lame duck session this month, the General Assembly passed a landmark criminal justice reform package, including an elimination of cash bail for most arrestees that Peters had long sought. But he said in a statement that there is still a lot of work to be done.

“The package did not remove systemic racism; it still exists and affects communities of color every minute of every day. As chair of the Public Safety Committee, I pledge to continue the fight and deliver a future where everyone in our state can be made whole,” he said.

The appointment is Peters’ first as chair of a permanent committee. He was appointed to the seat in 2019 and won election last year.