ELGIN – On Tuesday, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill expanding the state’s vote-by-mail program. State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) supported the measure to help safeguard the health and safety of voters.

“Even though we are in unprecedented times and a lot of us are taking things one day at a time, there are many aspects of our lives that will not wait for the coronavirus pandemic to end, and voting is one of them,” Castro said. “Election Day is coming, and people are going to want to vote, so we need to make sure that they can do so without risking their health or the health of their loved ones.”

ELGIN – With the launch of the next phase of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s “Life or Death Illinois” campaign, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) is taking time to remember people who lost their lives in traffic accidents and urges others to do the same.

“It’s important to consider that traffic fatalities are not just statistics on a page. They are real people,” Castro said. “Each one is a unique individual with a rich, vibrant life story who left behind family and friends who miss them dearly every day. We need to remember these individuals, not just in how their life impacted those around them, but how their death did as well.”

ELGIN – After Gov. JB Pritzker signed the state budget for the next fiscal year, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin), who supported the budget proposals during the brief May session, released the following statement:

“The budget is a realistic response to the current fiscal situation the COVID-19 pandemic has presented us with. It contains relief for our local small businesses, funding to provide PPE to our community’s hard working medical professionals, rent and mortgage assistance for families hit the hardest by the crisis, and support for immigrant and underserved communities who have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus.”

CHICAGO – State Senator Cristina Castro joined a coalition of black and Latino lawmakers and leaders for a press conference regarding systemic racial injustices faced by black communities, and released the following statement:

“Black lives matter. It is extremely difficult to be a person of color in America, and I stand strongly and proudly with my black brothers and sisters in their struggle for justice. As lawmakers, we have not just a duty to fix the problems faced by black communities on a daily basis, but also the power to personally do the fixing. We must seek a legislative response to these pressing issues.”