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During the early January legislative session, State Senator Cristina Castro continued her work standing up on behalf of workers and passing a measure to prohibit retaliation against employees who exercise their rights in the workplace.

“No one deserves to have their livelihood taken away because they attempted to exercise their rights in the workplace,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “These changes will enhance enforcement of our labor laws, safeguarding workers’ rights to break and rest periods in a reasonable working environment.”

The City of Elgin and the Streamwood Park District each received a $600,000 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grant to help support ongoing improvements to two local parks, thanks to strong support from State Senator Cristina Castro.

“Wing Park and Hoosier Grove Park are staples within our communities,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “This funding will help the parks grow, rebuild and improve the community, while bringing in more visitors each year.”

For the third year in a row, Castro supported funding for economically distressed communities, resulting in 29 underserved locations receiving $17.3 million in grants from the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development, or OSLAD, program.

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A landmark plan spearheaded by State Senator Cristina Castro and State Representative Theresa Mah to begin phasing out the federal subminimum wage for Illinoisans with disabilities is one step closer to becoming law.

“I’ve heard from friends, family and constituents about the pain they have to live with knowing their son or daughter is doing manual labor in a shop for eight hours a day only to come home with pennies on the dollar in their paycheck,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “This legislation is personal to me and a critical step in upholding the rights and dignity of all workers in our state.”

The subminimum wage exemption was passed into law as Section 14(c) of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. For nearly a century, Section 14(c) has enabled certain employers to obtain certificates to employ individuals with disabilities at wages far below the minimum wage. In Illinois, at least 50 employers hold 14(c) certificates, with most paying their employees under $1 per hour. This practice takes advantage of vulnerable workers and limits economic opportunities for those who already face significant barriers to employment. In Illinois, people with disabilities are more than twice as likely to live in poverty as people without disabilities.

House Bill 793 – also known as the Dignity in Pay Act – would lay a supportive foundation to help employers transition to paying their disabled employees a fair wage. The measure would call for state agencies to collaborate on a plan to phase out 14(c) certificates over the next five years, giving employers time to make necessary changes.

To uplift the vital economic contributions the arts industry provides to Illinois and the Northwest Suburbs, State Senator Cristina Castro helped lead an initiative through the Senate to support this industry and others.

“Illinois’ creative and performing arts industries employ nearly 200,000 Illinoisans,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “With more flexible rules in place, well-paying job opportunities and a diverse pool of talent, we can expect to see continuing success in the growth of the arts across our state.”

The Illinois Live Theater Production Tax Credit Program provides theaters with a transferable tax credit, offering an incentive to hire locally by covering a percentage of Illinois labor and in-state talent costs.