Castro partners with U-46 and Streamwood High to host community shred event

• Community Event
• Shred Event
• 2018

STREAMWOOD – Consumer fraud and identity theft are growing epidemics in our communities. To raise awareness and to promote prevention, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin), School District U-46 and Streamwood High School are offering free paper shredding services for area residents.

To help reduce the chances of identity theft, experts recommend shredding things like bank statements, credit card offers and credit card convenience checks. Residents should also shred canceled credit cards, canceled checks, pay stubs, old photo IDs and tax returns that are more than three years old.

To accommodate all participants the limit is two boxes of residential shredding per a person. Boxes and bags will be returned.

No business shredding will be accepted.

Date: Saturday, Aug. 18
Time: 9 a.m. to noon
Location: Streamwood High School (701 Schaumburg Rd., Streamwood)

For more information, call Castro’s office at (847) 214-8864.

Castro urges signing of legislation protecting working women

• Equal Pay
• HB 4163

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Castro (D – Elgin) issued the following statement regarding House Bill 4163.

“Tomorrow, we will send House Bill 4163 to the Governor’s desk. This legislation is crucial for protecting working women in Illinois, and I am urging the Governor to sign this bill as soon as possible.

“Women in Illinois are paid significantly less for doing work comparable to what their male counterparts do, earning on average 79 cents for every dollar a man makes. The gap is even worse among women of color, as black women only earn 63 cents for every dollar, and Hispanic and Latina women earn only 48 cents.

“In total, working women in Illinois lose out on nearly $20 billion because of preventable wage gap issues. This lost income makes it even harder for already struggling working class families to be able to afford their basic goods and services, and it’s based on nothing but the sex of the employee. It’s shameful and frankly embarrassing that such a discrepancy still exists in 2018, and we need to do all we can to stop it.

“If this bill becomes law, employers will no longer be able to ask potential new hires about their salary history. This practice is used to artificially reduce the compensation earned by women, since employers can then use the answer to this question to pay based on history, and not based on what the work should actually earn.

“In addition, HB 4163 gives employees who find themselves the victims of unfair pay practices a method to seek compensation, including the recovery of the lost wages, punitive damages, injunctive relief and reimbursement of court and attorney fees.

“This bill won’t completely erase the problem of wage disparity between men and women in the state, but it will go a long way toward helping to prevent it. If Bruce Rauner fails to sign this important legislation, he’ll show once again that he is not a friend of working women or women of color in Illinois. I implore Governor Rauner to consider the needs of the people of Illinois over his corporate friends, and to do the right thing by signing the bill.”

Castro: Rauner prioritized big banks over local consumers

• Consumer Protection
• Veto

ELGIN– Gov. Bruce Rauner prioritized big banks over Illinois consumers Friday, vetoing consumer protection legislation championed by State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin).

On Friday, Rauner did not approve Castro’s House Bill 4922, which would have prohibited rebate cards from charging inactivity fees. The legislation would have expanded existing gift card regulations to rebate cards.

“Gov. Bruce Rauner prioritized big banks over local consumers,” Castro said. “This measure would hold big banks accountable and help prevent them from deceiving Illinois residents with unnecessary and burdensome fees.”

The vetoed measure was an initiative of the Illinois State Treasurer to prevent banks from taking unclaimed property on rebate cards.

Under current law, companies can issue a rebate in the form of a check to a consumer, and if the check is not cashed within three years, the company is required to turn the amount of the check over to the Treasurer's Office as unclaimed property.

Castro pledges to continue to work with the State Treasurer and Attorney General to protect Illinois consumers who have money owed to them from rebates. 

“If a consumer is owed money from a rebate, they shouldn’t be hindered by dormancy fees,” Castro said. “It is unfair and should be unlawful. Consumers shouldn’t be at risk of being charged for getting a rebate. It’s their money.”

Castro’s new law gives children access to their medicine on school grounds

• Schools
• Ashley's Law

ELGIN – Illinois children who are qualified medical cannabis patients will now have access to their medicine on school grounds thanks to Elgin Democrat, State Senator Cristina Castro.

Castro’s bipartisan initiative creates "Ashley's Law” which allows for the administration of medical cannabis-infused products on school premises. It was signed into law Wednesday.

“Children shouldn’t have to choose between their medication and their education,” Castro said. Qualified patients have the right to have access to their medicine no matter where they are. I’m happy to see this measure signed into law.”

This measure was in response to a recent case of an 11-year-old student being denied use of medical cannabis prescribed to her to alleviate symptoms of leukemia treatment. Although she is a qualified medical cannabis patient, previous state law prohibited her use of medicinal cannabis on school grounds.

“With support from the House, Senate and governor’s office, we are grateful that Ashley’s Law will help many children dependent on medical cannabis attend school in Illinois,” Ashley’s family said. “We want to send a huge heartfelt thank you from our family to Senator Castro, Governor Rauner, Representative Lang, our attorney Steve Glink and our doctors for changing our lives. It’s a miracle.”

House Bill 4870 passed the Senate and House with unanimous support and goes into effect immediately.