ELGIN – The Senate Executive Committee for the 102nd General Assembly will have new leadership, as State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) was announced as its Chair.

“I am honored to have been selected to Chair the Executive Committee, and I am excited to get to work solving some our state’s most pressing issues,” Castro said. “Some of the most influential and impactful bills come through that Committee, and the debate they inspire is always informative and often persuasive. It will be a challenging role, but it’s one that I know I can handle and I’m looking forward to seeing what proposals my colleagues bring to the table.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) and several other members of the Illinois Senate were sworn in as the 102nd General Assembly began earlier today. Castro’s inauguration marks the start of her second term.

“I was very proud of all the good my colleagues and I were able to accomplish during my first term, and I am both honored and humbled that the people I represented trusted me enough to continue that work for another General Assembly,” Castro said. “There is still a lot of work that needs to be done, particularly to address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I am eager to begin the conversations with my fellow lawmakers to make Illinois a better place to live.”

Castro was first elected to the Senate in Nov. 2016 for a four-year term. Her current term, along with the terms of entire 102nd General Assembly, expires Jan. 11, 2023.

SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to deliver social equity in cannabis licensing, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) passed a package to follow-up on 2019’s legalization measure through the Senate this evening.

“During these impactful times, as the General Assembly works to pass the Black Caucus pillars to rid Illinois of systemic racism, it’s important to ensure social equity in other areas of society as well, and a good place to start is with cannabis dispensaries,” Castro said. “This legislation helps address some shortcomings of the original law that are preventing it from being as successful as it could be.”

ELGIN – Families who use the Child Care Assistance Program will have their child care co-pays capped to $1.25 per month in the first two months of 2021. State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin), who has long been an advocate for working-class families, is hopeful the cap will relieve some of the burden from those who need it most.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many parents to decide between continuing to work and providing child care for their children,” Castro said. “This is a difficult choice that nobody should have to make, and my hope is that with a new cap on the co-pay under CCAP, they won’t have to.”