ELGIN – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) that will provide children in foster care and under supervision of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) the opportunity to go to college was signed into law on Thursday.

“Kids in foster care are less likely to attend college,” said Castro. “This affects their futures, including their income levels and employment stability. I don’t want there to be barriers for these kids who are in situations that they had no control over.”

Under Castro’s measure, certain youth from DCFS, who file for FAFSA and do not receive a DCFS fee waiver, will have the opportunity to receive a scholarship. The scholarship will cover the remaining tuition and fees for any public institution of higher learning in Illinois.

“This measure will give kids from DCFS the tools to be successful,” said Castro. “They will then go out and contribute to our economy and make the job market stronger in our state.Their talents and dreams shouldn’t be limited.”

House Bill 5122 goes into effect Jan. 1, 2019.

ELGIN— Gov. Bruce Rauner has continued his tirade on the working class by rejecting two measures that would benefit Illinois’ emergency personnel.

Rauner issued vetoes on House Bill 126, which extends bargaining rights to paramedics, and House Bill 127, which provides health coverage and educational benefits for firefighters and their families if a paramedic or EMT suffers catastrophic injury or is killed in the line of duty.

State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) said the governor’s actions show utter disregard for community heroes.

“The governor has demonstrated once again he is blinded by his war against unions,” Castro said. “His anti-union actions and rhetoric are evident in everything he does, but even by his standards this action against our emergency personnel is despicable.”

House Bill 126 would have extended the same rights granted to firefighters to paramedics that are also employed by units of local government. Castro said paramedics face the same dangers and serve our communities with honor and respect.

The legislation would only impact approximately 60 paramedics employed by local governments such as Mascoutah, Menard County, Morton, Highland, Troy and Union County.

“Our paramedics put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe. The next time the governor needs to call 911, he should take a second to remember how he took our emergency personnel for granted,” Castro said. “

House Bill 127 would have extended health coverage and educational benefits to paramedics and EMTs if they suffer a catastrophic injury or are killed in the line of duty

“Our EMTs and paramedics are often the deciding factor between life and death,” Castro said. “We cannot thank them and their families enough for their service and sacrifice to keep our communities safe. I just wish our governor would take the time to do the same.”

House Bill 126 and House Bill 127 passed the Senate and House with bipartisan support. Castro vows to fight for an override of the governor’s vetoes to ensure Illinois’ EMTs and paramedics receive adequate benefits and protections.

ELGIN – Illinois’ roads will be safer thanks to a new law pushed by State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin).

Castro’s House Bill 4846 was signed into law Tuesday, takes effect July 1, 2019 and making the first time a person uses a cell phone while driving a moving offense. Previously, the first offense was classified as a warning.

“This new measure will help save lives,” Castro said. “Sending one quick text while driving is dangerous. We have to work together to get the message across that texting and driving is one of the most dangerous forms of distracted driving.”

In 2013, the General Assembly passed a bill to prohibit all uses of cellular phones while driving. House Bill 4846 strengthens this law to create stricter guidelines.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, at least 25 percent of police-reported incidents involve some form of distracted driving. According to AT&T, nearly 9 in 10 people engage in smartphone activities while driving. Castro wants to end this epidemic to help save lives and stop preventable fatalities.

“There are countless distractions on the road,” Castro said. “It’s important that we do our best to educate and bring attention to this issue. One short text can cost lives.”

The Illinois Secretary of State and State Police supported the measure.

ELGIN – State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) said Gov. Bruce Rauner once again showed his true colors by vetoing a worker protection measure this week.

Rauner vetoed Castro’s House Bill 4572, a powerful human rights measure that would protect all employees across the state from work-related discrimination and retaliation.

“It’s troubling that once again Gov. Rauner has failed to empower and stand up for the rights of workers,” Castro said. “No matter the size of the business, all employees should have the means to stand up for themselves and the assurances that they are protected by law.”

Castro’s measure would have expanded the Illinois Human Rights Act to cover employers of any size, as current law only covers employers with 15 or more employees. This measure would have given all employees under Illinois law the means to challenge work-related discrimination and retaliation.

“Expanding the Illinois Human Rights Act is the right thing to do,” Castro said. “At this point, though, I am disappointed but not surprised that our governor has chosen to once again overlook the working class.”

Last week, Castro sent another worker protection bill – House Bill 4163 – to the governor’s desk. This legislation is crucial for protecting working women in Illinois. Castro is urging Gov. Rauner to sign this bill as soon as possible.

“This measure 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,” Castro said. “If Gov. Rauner fails to sign this monumental legislation, he’ll show once again that he is not a friend of working women or women of color. I implore Gov. 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 vows to continue to support working men and women across the state to ensure everyone has equal rights and is paid a fair wage, even if the governor refuses to.