SPRINGFIELD – Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) released the following statement on the passage of a balanced, bipartisan budget tonight:

“This budget represents hope for our state. Members from all four caucuses came together to make difficult choices and find a compromise that would bring certainty and stability back to Illinois.

“My measure, Senate Bill 2577, or the Marketplace Fairness Act, is also included in the budget. This will bring revenue to our state because it ensures out-of-state online companies pay their fair share of taxes, just like local brick-and-mortar business owners do.

“I voted for this budget, not only because it was truly balanced, but because it funds the services many people in my district rely on. Under this budget, services such as domestic violence shelters, mental health programs and childcare and immigration services are able to get the funding they need to keep their doors opened.

“Our budget restores certainty for pre-kindergarten through 12^th grade with the new evidence-based school funding model which guarantees no school district will get less funding than the year before. We can let out a sigh of relief knowing that our schools will open on time.

“After holding higher education hostage for over two years, this budget provides our colleges and universities with a 2 percent increase while also funding MAP Grants and a new Military Veteran Scholarship that will be distributed to public institutions based on their level of veteran enrollment. That will give Elgin Community College over $50,000.

“The budget also gives middle class students a chance to pursue a higher education in our state through the new pilot grant program, AIM HIGH. Illinois will match the funding to public universities that award scholarships to students based off of not only their financial need, but their merit. This will help keep students in our state.

 “We began to rebuild our state when we passed a budget last year for the first time in two years. Now, it is time to continue working to ensure that Illinois is a place for people to live, work and prosper.”

The budget package will move to the House for consideration before heading to the governor’s desk.

SPRINGFIELD – Both the Illinois House and Senate passed legislation sponsored by State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) today to protect nurses from workplace violence.

“Health care providers devote their lives to helping their patients,” Castro said. “It is time that we help them. Nurses deserve to come to work and feel safe.”

This legislation is in response to an incident that occurred in Kane County on May 13, 2017 at Delanor Hospital. Two nurses were taken hostage by an inmate undergoing treatment who managed to obtain a handgun.

“The incident that happened in my home county at Delanor Hospital was both alarming and upsetting,” Castro said. “These nurses went to work that day to do their jobs and help their patients, but instead they were assaulted. That’s why I brought forth this legislation. Our nurses deserve to be protected.”

In Illinois, violence against a nurse is deemed a class three felony charge, but there are no laws that require health care employers to provide protection to nurses, staff, patients and visitors.

House Bill 4100 will create the Healthcare Violence Prevention Act to protect health care providers, put in place a violence prevention program and add whistleblower protections for nurses that report violence to law enforcement.

House Bill 4100 passed both the House and Senate and moves to the governor’s desk for consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – Both the Illinois House and Senate advanced legislation sponsored by State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin)yesterday to create stronger penalties for texting and driving.

“Many people think texting one quick message while driving is harmless,” Castro said. “We have to get the message across that this can be life-changing.”

Under current law, first offenses of texting and driving are treated as non-moving violations. With House Bill 4846, a moving violation will be noted on the motorist’s driving record, along with fines and court costs.

Last year, Castro passed Senate Resolution 322 to establish an Illinois Distracted Driving Awareness Week. This piece of legislation will crack down on the epidemic in a more forceful way.

“There are countless distractions while on the road,” Castro said. “It’s important that we do our best to educate and bring attention to this issue because the consequences can be deadly.”

House Bill 4846 passed both the House and Senate and now moves to the governor’s desk for consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate voted yesterday to approve Senator Cristina Castro’s (D-Elgin) legislation strengthening the Illinois Equal Pay Act.

House Bill 4163 would prohibit employers from asking about salary histories when interviewing job applicants. The measure would reduce the effects of pay discrimination from past jobs.

“This legislation addresses a wide range of people” said Castro. “Men and women of all ages and backgrounds should have an equal chance to succeed, and that is what I will continue to fight for as a member of this General Assembly.”

Employers can currently consider salary history when making hiring decisions and salary offers. This perpetuates 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.

“I don’t believe that all employers consciously discriminate, but they need to become aware of this issue,” said Castro. “Many employers tend to set salaries for new hires using their previous salary rather than basing it off of the applicant’s worth to the company. Businesses shouldn’t see this legislation as a threat; it is the right thing to do.”

House Bill 4163 passed both the House and Senate and now moves to the governor’s desk for consideration.