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.

SPRINGFIELD – Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) is sponsoring a measure to ensure out of state businesses making sales in Illinois pay their fair share of taxes and meet the same requirements as in-state businesses.

Senate Bill 2577, or the Marketplace Fairness Act, would establish guidelines for what constitutes an in-state business in regard to retailers that are not physically located in Illinois, but that sell to Illinois consumers. The measure would only consider outside retailers as maintaining an in-state business if they make more than $100,000 from Illinois consumers or if there are over 200 transactions by purchasers from Illinois.

State public health department needs new leadership
SPRINGFIELD – The director of Illinois’ public health agency should resign, State Senator Cristina Castro said today, pointing to new information that calls into question his priorities and his ability to lead in a crisis.

Castro (D-Elgin) is urging Illinois Public Health Director Nirav Shah to resign after emails emerged, as reported by WBEZ radio, regarding the Rauner administration’s bungled response to the Legionnaires’ epidemic at the Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy.

ELGIN – State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) and Representative Anna Moeller (D-Elgin) presented a donation to the Community Crisis Center of Elgin on Feb. 26.

Last December, Castro and Moeller hosted a joint holiday open house and collected $300 in change from guests in attendance. Both legislators wrote matching checks of $350, making the total donation $1,000.