ELGIN- Local communities have a new tool to combat government waste thanks to Elgin Democratic State Senator Cristina Castro.

Castro championed House Bill 607, which allows townships to abolish road districts through the use of voter referendums.

“Empowering voters to streamline services and eliminate redundant forms of government will lower property tax bills,” Castro said. “Now more than ever we need to work in tune with local citizens to reduce waste in every level of government.”

House Bill 607 allows every township in Illinois to place a referendum on the ballot asking voters whether a township road district should be abolished and the responsibilities of maintaining roadways transferred to the township. Previously this option was only available for townships located in Cook County.

Castro said a good example of local road district consolidation happened in Hanover Township in Cook County when the township worked to consolidate its road district prior to the passage of this new law.

“As a result of our citizen approved consolidation referendum, Hanover Township has an opportunity to implement cost saving measures all while maintaining high quality constituent service,” said Brian P. McGuire, Hanover Township Supervisor. “As it should be, this new law invests power in the hands of local residents throughout Illinois.”

Castro said her experience as a member of the Kane County Board helped her craft this legislation and gain an understanding of government at the local level.

“Local control belongs in local hands,” she said. “There is no one-size-fits-all approach to consolidating government services, so this new law will allow taxpayers to decide what’s best for their communities.”

House Bill 607 passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support. The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2018.

ELGIN- The 22nd Senate District now has a new bipartisan economic development program, thanks to a measure championed by Democratic Senator Cristina Castro of Elgin.

House Bill 162 reinstates the Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) program, allowing the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to offer tax credits to businesses that invest in Illinois.

“This new bipartisan law will help energize our economy and create good-paying jobs for our residents,” Castro said. “I look forward to continuing my work to increase economic development opportunities and investments in our communities.”

EDGE tax credits are a competitive economic development program that helps Illinois attract and retain jobs. This incentive helps encourage business growth.

‘It’s important that we utilize every tool at our disposal to attract and retain good paying jobs for Illinois residents,” Castro said.  

House Bill 162 requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to repossess economic development funds if a business granted the tax credit does not fulfill their part of the contract.

That money would then be distributed to the local workforce investment area.

EDGE credit recipients are also required to submit an annual report to DCEO containing supplier diversity information to help promote diversity in state economic incentives and programs.  

The Illinois Manufacturer Association (IMA) supported passage of this key economic incentive.

“The IMA is pleased that legislators passed a short-term extension of the EDGE tax credit,” Mark Denzler, Vice President & COO of IMA said. “It's an important tool to help attract and retain jobs.”

House Bill 162 passed the Senate and House with bipartisan support and was signed into law this week.

CHICAGO- State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) is excited to announce the TRUST Act was signed into law today.

“We should be fostering safe communities where a person’s fear of hostility, or having their families torn apart, does not get in the way of public safety, Castro said. “The TRUST Act gives us the tools to put Illinois on the right track, keep families together and build stronger communities."

Senate Bill 31, also known as the TRUST Act, limits local police interaction with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions, and rebuilds trust between police and immigrant communities.

“Police should focus keeping our neighborhoods safe, not enforcing immigration laws,” Castro said. “A person in the shadows often will not come forward to report crimes against themselves or others because they fear their immigration status may be exposed. When someone’s fear gets in the way of cooperation, our communities become less safe.”

The TRUST Act prohibits law enforcement agencies from engaging in immigration enforcement unless a warrant issued by a judge is presented, bans detaining a person based on their immigration status and forbids the use of any state or local resources to help create a federal registry based on race, national origin, religion or other protected classes.

Senate Bill 31 passed the Senate and House with bipartisan support.  This new law goes into effect immediately.

ELGIN- To encourage voter participation in Illinois, Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) is excited to announce her bipartisan legislation was signed into law today.

“The right to vote is a foundation of our democratic process. This new bipartisan law will encourage more civic engagement and allow more voices to be heard in the legislative process."

The measure, Senate Bill 1933, passed the Senate and House with bipartisan support. The new law will go into effect immediately to allow automatic voter registration to be implemented by July 1, 2018.