SPRINGFIELD – A resolution sponsored by State Senator Cristina Castro that establishes March 8, 2023 as International Women’s Day in the state of Illinois passed the Senate on Wednesday.

“This is an opportunity to join Illinois with the international community and officially recognize the progress we have made together for women’s rights,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “Women have contributed so much to our state and nation including serving in our armed forces, breaking barriers in the technology and innovation sectors, and fighting for equality for all people. Let us take the time to recognize and lift up those accomplishments today.”

March 8 of each year is recognized as International Women's Day by countries around the world to celebrate the past, present and future achievements of women as well as the obstacles that women continue to face in their struggle for equal rights and gender equality.

CHICAGO – The Illinois Housing Development Authority is relaunching and investing an additional $8 million in a homeownership program designed to help working class families and underrepresented communities of color with buying a home.

The Opening Doors or Abriendo Puertas program, offered through IHDA, provides aid to lower-income borrowers and households of color who have faced steeper barriers in their path toward homeownership with $6,000 in forgivable assistance for down payment and closing costs.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Castro voted for a bill Thursday that would clarify language in portions of the Pretrial Fairness Act and ensure a smooth transition to implementing the law.

“These historic reforms are a result of collaboration between a diverse group of advocates, law enforcement, states attorneys, victims’ rights organizations and other stakeholders,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “Today, along with my colleagues in the Senate, we voted to preserve and reaffirm the Pretrial Fairness Act’s commitment to improving equity, safety and justice in our state’s criminal legal system.”

A joint effort, the bill provides clarification to common misconceptions spread about the Pretrial Fairness Act portions of the SAFE-T Act since its passage in January 2021. In recent months, a smear campaign against the law overwhelmed social media and headlines of fake newspapers, leaving many Illinoisans confused about what the law actually does.

House Bill 1095 clarifies that judges can issue warrants and summons, provides a reminder that any person who poses a threat to the community or someone else – including trespassers – can be arrested, and clarifying court authority when it comes to electronic monitoring, among other items. 

The measure also adds certain charges – including forcible felonies, hate crimes and attempts of crimes that are otherwise detainable – to the list of crimes that qualify someone for detention. Sponsors added these crimes with the goal of ensuring that those who pose a risk to the community should be detained while those who simply lack bail money and do not pose a threat should not.

“Giving judges the authority to detain individuals who are a danger to public safety based on the facts of their case is the right thing to do,” said Castro. “I am proud to support legislation that not only puts an end to wealth-based incarceration in Illinois but also centers victims’ rights and puts public safety first.”

Under House Bill 1095, the intent of the Pretrial Fairness Act remains the same – the bill merely clarifies language to ensure it cannot be interpreted out of context.

House Bill 1095 passed the Senate Thursday and will move to the House for consideration.

ELGIN – The Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund has doubled the amount of assistance it is offering to eligible homeowners, and State Senator Cristina Castro is urging households impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to apply.

“This program will provide crucial security to even more homeowners in Illinois who have struggled financially during the pandemic,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “Families facing debt and foreclosure due to circumstances out of their control – especially in communities that have been disproportionately impacted – deserve support and recovery.”

ELGIN – State Senator Cristina Castro is encouraging homeowners who had trouble making mortgage payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic to take advantage of an upcoming mortgage assistance program that will open for applications on Tuesday, Nov. 1.

“This program will provide crucial security to homeowners in Illinois who have struggled during the pandemic,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “Families should not face foreclosure and homelessness due to their inability to make all mortgage payments in full while a global pandemic was devastating the economy and our communities.”

The Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund, administered by the Illinois Housing Development Authority, will provide up to $30,000 in mortgage assistance to eligible homeowners — paid directly to the servicer, taxing body or other approved entity — while homeowners work to regain their financial footing. Whether homeowners have a mortgage, a reverse mortgage, or are mortgage-free, the program can fund past due housing payments and up to three months of prospective mortgage payments.

ELGIN – As college application season kicks off, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) is encouraging students and their families to take advantage of several state and federal relief opportunities related to financial aid, student loans and college affordability.

“Students and their families deserve to be informed and given resources to make higher education as accessible as possible,” said Castro. “As the cost of college continues to rise, I am hopeful this relief will support students facing economic hardship and those with limited access to resources.”

Under the federal plan for one-time student loan forgiveness announced recently by the president, students who received Federal Pell Grants can have up to $20,000 in debt forgiven and students with non-Pell Grant loans can have up to $10,000 in debt forgiven if their individual income is less than $125,000. The application is available at studentaid.gov and must be completed by Dec. 31, 2023.

ELGIN – To highlight the ongoing success of community and financial organization partnerships, State Senator Cristina Castro is encouraging credit unions, community organizations, service groups and other financial institutions committed to improving the financial stability of Illinois residents to join the Bank On Illinois coalition.

“Middle class families in Illinois have suffered from the ill effects of crippling bank fees for long enough,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “I’m proud to have sponsored and fought for the passage of legislation that gives working families in Illinois some peace of mind, and I’m glad to see it working to financially empower residents across our state.”

The Bank On Illinois initiative, passed in 2019, established a commission to monitor banking practices across the state to ensure that people in Illinois have access to bank accounts that offer fair financial service options, including no maintenance fees, low or no minimum deposit requirements, low or no overdraft fees, and methods to open accounts using forms of identification other than the traditional driver’s license or state ID card.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – State Senator Cristina Castro’s support for adult education is being recognized with a 2022 Legislative Champion Award from the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE). The Coalition announced the award this week as part of its efforts to raise awareness leading up to national Adult Education and Family Literacy Week which begins Sept. 19.

Senator Castro has sponsored legislation in the Illinois Senate to help erase the stigma of a high school equivalency diploma versus a high school diploma and to reduce the cost of GED®  exams for adult learners, both essential to adult education programs in Illinois.