The Illinois Senate voted Wednesday to ensure women in Illinois will continue to safely and legally exercise their right to choose whether or not to have an abortion.

House Bill 40 removes the "trigger" provision from a 1975 Illinois law that would reinstate a previous state policy banning abortion in the event that Roe v. Wade is overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. Additionally, the legislation would allow abortion coverage for individuals on Medicaid or covered by State Employee Health Insurance plans.

State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin), a chief co-sponsor of the measure, stated Wednesday that it is absolutely necessary to ensure Illinois women continue to have the right to choose to move forward with a pregnancy.

“These types of decisions should be between a woman and her doctor,” Castro said. “We need to make sure women have a safe place to legally exercise this right. Illinois should be a state that continues to move forward and helps to preserve the rights of women. Should the federal courts overturn Roe V. Wade, it would mean overturning 40 years of progress for civil rights. Today I voted to safeguard those rights. I urge the governor to sign this legislation into law.”

House Bill 40 passed the Senate Wednesday and will be sent to the governor for approval.

The City of Elgin may soon see a face lift thanks to new legislation passed by the Illinois Senate this week. The measure, Senate Bill 1783, would extend the Illinois Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program, bringing much needed funds to restore older buildings.

State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin), who cosponsored the legislation noted that not only will this legislation bring funds to help restore buildings in downtown Elgin, it will also help bring economic development to the city.

“Yes, this legislation is important because it helps restore older structures to their former beauty, but looking at the bigger picture it helps create good paying jobs in our community,” said Castro. “I came to Springfield to make sure the people of my district are receiving the things they need from the state. Job creation and economic development is a key component of that.”

According to the City of Elgin, about 100 buildings in the downtown Elgin area can potentially be rehabilitated if the measure is passed.

The measure passed the Senate Friday and now goes to the House for consideration.

The Illinois Senate passed a measure Friday that would bring automatic voter registration to the state of Illinois.

State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin), who co-sponsored the measure released the following statement:

"I am happy to see this measure receive such great support from my colleagues on both sides of the isle. The right to vote is a pillar of our democracy. Automatic voter registration will bring more participation and allow more voices to be heard in the legislative process."

The measure, Senate Bill 1933, passed the Senate on Friday and goes to the House for consideration.

The Illinois Senate approved a measure today that limits local police interaction with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions, and rebuilds trust between police and immigrant communities. 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.

State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) released the following statement:

“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. A person in the shadows often will not come forward to report crimes against themselves or other people because they fear their status may be exposed. When someone’s fear gets in the way of cooperation, our communities become less safe. This legislation gives us the tools to put Illinois on the right track, keep families together and build stronger communities."