Castro: “President Trump cannot singlehandedly change the Constitution to exercise his will”

• Immigration
• Federal

ELGIN— State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) is tired of President Donald Trump’s unconstitutional ploys. This week, Trump announced his plans to end birthright citizenship for babies born to noncitizens changing a Constitutional right that was established by the nation’s founding fathers.

“Once again, President Trump is abusing his office to attract support from right wing extremists,” Castro said. “We need to work together as a society to embrace the contributions diversity brings to our nation, state and society instead of pitting people against each other. Plain and simple, the president’s actions are illegal.”   

Trump is attempting to make changes to the fourteenth amendment which was adopted on July 9, 1868 as one of the Reconstruction Amendments to address citizenship rights and equal protections of the law.  U.S. Presidents cannot change the Constitution by issuing an executive order.

“Despite his complete and utter ignorance, President Trump cannot singlehandedly change the Constitution to exercise his will,” Castro said. “In times like this we need to come together as a community and spread kindness and generosity whenever possible.”

Castro urges override of gender wage gap bill veto

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Castro met with colleagues today urging for an override of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a bill she sponsored to address Illinois’ gender wage gap in Illinois and protect working women.

Had it become law, House Bill 4163 would have banned employers from asking prospective new employees about their salary history. This would ensure wages were based on experience rather than the employee’s history.

“It’s a vicious cycle,” said Castro, an Elgin Democrat. “If a woman is unfairly paid a lower wage at one job, and that unfair wage can be used to determine her wage at her next job, then she might never be able to earn the wage she is duly deserved.”

Despite making up nearly half the work force in Illinois, women on average are paid only 79 cents for every dollar earned by men in similar occupational roles. The disparity is even larger among women of color, with black women earning 63 cents to the dollar and Hispanic and Latina women earning only 48.

“Working class families in Illinois are already struggling,” said Castro. “It only makes matters worse when women are denied wages they deserve. All this bill does is help protect working class women in this state from undue financial hardship, so I’m having a hard time understanding why Gov. Rauner opposed it.”

The bill would also have given victims of unfair or gender-based wage discrepancies a method to seek compensation, including the recovery of lost wages, punitive damages and reimbursement of legal fees.

“Similar measures have been proposed, but none of them give women the ability to seek justice for unfair practices used against them,” said Castro. “That makes those laws unenforceable. This bill would have been an enforceable law meant to ensure that women in Illinois are paid what they ought to be fairly paid.”

Castro intends to file a motion to override during the fall Veto Session.

Castro frustrated with veto of working women protection bill

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Castro (D – Elgin) issued the following statement today after Gov. Rauner vetoed a bill she sponsored concerning the gender wage gap in Illinois and the protection of middle class working women:

“I’m frustrated by this veto, but it certainly doesn’t surprise me. The governor has never been a friend of the working class or of women, so a veto of a bill meant to offer protections to working class women definitely fits his style.”

New Castro law creates additional protections for nurses

• Public Safety
• HB4100

ELGIN – Nurses will now be protected under the Healthcare Violence Prevention Act thanks to State Senator Cristina Castro’s (D-Elgin) new law that was signed on Friday.

“Health care providers devote their lives to taking care of our community,” Castro said. “Now it is time that we help them. Nurses deserve to feel safe at work.”

The new law creates the Healthcare Violence Prevention Act to protect health care providers, puts in place a violence prevention program and adds whistleblower protections for nurses who report violence to law enforcement.

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

“The incident that happened in our home county at Delnor Hospital was alarming and extremely upsetting,” Castro said. “These nurses went to work that day to do their jobs and ensure the wellbeing of their patients, but instead they were assaulted. That’s why pushed this legislation and I am happy that it was finally signed into law.”

House Bill 4100 passed the Senate with unanimous support and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2019.