SPRINGFIELD – To promote health and wellness across local communities, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) and Elgin Councilman Baldemar Lopez will co-host a Health Fair and Flu Shot Clinic this month.

“It’s extremely important to stay healthy, especially during flu season, but it’s often difficult to find the time to stay on top of your wellness,” Castro said. “By centralizing several health and wellness providers into a single location, we’re giving people the opportunity to receive some of the services they might otherwise be unable to obtain.”

The Health Fair and Flu Shot Clinic will be held at Elgin High School on Saturday, Nov. 16 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Castro and Lopez will be joined by several vendors, including Walgreens, VNA Health Care, the Kane County Teachers Credit Union, the Illinois Department of Health and the Illinois Secretary of State’s Mobile Unit, who will provide health and wellness services to those in attendance. The event is free and open to the public, and the services provided will cater to all ages.

Elgin High School is located at 1200 Maroon Drive in Elgin. Those wishing to attend should park in the main parking lot and enter through Doors 7 and 8.

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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.

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

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.