Castro, Senate guarantee low-cost insulin

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate passed a measure today to cap the cost of insulin for diabetes patients. State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin), who was a chief-co sponsor of the bill, called on the Illinois House to pass the measure.

“Many people are finding it difficult to afford the insulin they need in order live,” Castro said. “By putting this cap in place, we’re helping to ensure that the families who are struggling to pay for their lifesaving medication aren’t left in financial ruin because of their illness.”

Senate Bill 667 caps the out-of-pocket cost for a 30-day supply of insulin at $100 per patient. It also directs the Office of the Attorney General to investigate the causes of the rising price of insulin and publish a report on their findings.

Having passed the Senate, the bill will now head to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Castro: Much-needed improvements coming in IDOT five-year plan

ELGIN –  After the Illinois Department of Transportation announced their five-year plan Monday, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) expressed pleasure with several of the proposed projects.

“When I supported the capital bill this spring, I did so with the hope that the funds generated would go toward much-needed infrastructure improvements in my district,” Castro said. “I’m pleased to see that IDOT’s proposed five-year plan will address some of our community’s biggest problems.”

Some of the proposed projects in Elgin, Hoffman Estates and surrounding areas include:

• U.S. Route 20 bridge repairs, safety improvement and additional lanes;
• Illinois Route 25 accessibility improvements and pavement rehabilitation and preservation;
• Illinois Route 19, intersection improvements, pavement rehabilitation and modernized traffic signal installation;
• Illinois Route 58 traffic signal installation, bridge repairs and pavement rehabilitation.

“Some of these roads have been in bad condition for a while, so it’s great to see that they’ll finally get the repairs they need,” Castro said.

For a full list of proposed District 22 projects, visit http://www.idot.illinois.gov/Assets/uploads/files/Transportation-System/Reports/OP&P/HIP/2020-2025/ilsenate/sdist22.pdf

Building safety officials name Castro Legislator of The Year

SCHAUMBURG – The Illinois Council of Code Administrators, a statewide organization comprised of municipal and county building department officials, named State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) the 2019 Legislator of the Year.

“Building safety isn’t something we often think about, but it’s an extremely important aspect of all construction jobs,” Castro said. “I’m honored to have been named Legislator of the Year, and I vow to continue passing legislation that helps keep contractors, construction workers, and folks who use the building safe.”

Castro was the lead sponsor of several pieces of legislation in Springfield aimed at insuring dangerous construction practices are done by trained professionals, as well as a new law that requires all proposed changes to any statewide construction code be posted on a state agency website, making it easier for the public to track.

“The public has the right to stay up to date on the most recent changes to construction safety codes,” Castro said.

Castro received the award at the monthly lunch meeting of the Northwest Building and Code Officials in Schaumburg.

Castro celebrates equal pay victory: Salary history questions banned

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) is thrilled that the Illinois law she authored to prohibit employers from asking about applicants’ salary history is now in full effect.

“This law is a significant step in eliminating the pay gap for women and other groups that face wage discrimination,” Castro said. “It means that lower pay can no longer follow people from job to job.”

The new law prohibits employers from asking about salary histories when interviewing job applicants or making job offers.

“From now on, initial salary offers will have to reflect how much a company values a potential worker,” Castro added. “If your previous employer was racist, or sexist, or paid you less because you got your first job at the height of the Great Recession, it won’t matter. The only thing that will matter are the skills and experience that you bring to the table.”

Until Sept. 29, employers could – and often did – consider salary history when making hiring decisions and salary offers. This system perpetuated wage inequality, especially since women, on average, earn less than men for similar work. It has also been found that women of color earn even less than white women when compared to men.

Gov. Pritzker signed HB 834 on July 31. The statute gave employers 60 days to adjust their practices. Businesses that violate the law and ask potential applicants or their previous employers for salary information now face potential civil penalties.

Nothing in the law prohibits job applicants from voluntarily disclosing their current salaries for the purpose of negotiating, nor does it prohibit employers from using publicly available salary information, such as the wage data available on the Illinois comptroller’s website.