Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas News

Details: Category: Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas News; Published: Wednesday, July 21, 2021 12:50 PM

CHICAGO – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) wants residents of the 20^th District to know that they could be eligible for the federal Child Tax Credit even if they did not file taxes in 2019 or 2020.

“The American Rescue Plan’s Child Tax Credit will provide an unprecedented amount of relief to families, and they should take full advantage of it,” Pacione-Zayas said. “Even if you did not file taxes in 2019 or 2020, you can still get this relief by filling out the non-filer application on the IRS website.”

According to data provided by the White House, there are hundreds of residents in the 20^th District who did not file taxes in 2019 and 2020 who are eligible to sign up as non-filers to receive the Child Tax Credit. People with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers or Social Security Numbers are eligible to apply. More information and the application are available on the White House website.

The Child Tax Credit will provide families with children under 6 years old $2,000 to $3,600 per child, and families with children from ages 6 to 17 $2,000 to $3,000 per child. To get money into people’s bank accounts quicker, the IRS will be sending families half of their 2021 Child Tax Credit as a monthly payment of $250 to $300 per child through the end of the year. Those who filed taxes in 2019 and 2020 should receive those payments automatically.

“Although payments started on July 15, families who sign up as non-filers can still get the full amount of this credit no matter when they sign up,” Pacione-Zayas said. “I urge everyone to check their eligibility and sign up to receive this relief if they are eligible.”

Families can check their eligibility on the IRS website and sign up as non-filers at any time.

Details: Category: Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas News; Published: Monday, July 19, 2021 04:12 PM

CHICAGO – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas issued a statement following last week’s federal court decision in Texas blocking the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program from taking any new applications:

“Judge Andrew Hanen’s ruling last Friday is yet another egregious attempt to rip the opportunity away for a pathway to citizenship, safety, and protection from hundreds of thousands of people who came to this country as a result of broken U.S. foreign policy.

“DACA protects undocumented child immigrants and allows them to work in the United States, pursue educational goals, and ultimately give them a chance to make their own way in this country.

“This decision is just another painful reminder of why the federal government needs to act with urgency and expediency about designing and implementing a permanent solution that is a comprehensive pathway to citizenship for all undocumented immigrants beyond DACA recipients.

“I stand with all the immigrants in the 20th District and beyond. I see you. I hear you. I promise to continue to work to represent you in this state, and I urge Congress and the president to act as soon as possible to protect the millions of people who are entitled to safety, resources, and ability to openly contribute to reimagining this country as one that works towards our collective liberation.”

Details: Category: Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas News; Published: Friday, June 25, 2021 05:04 PM

Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas

CHICAGO – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas released the following statement on Friday’s sentencing of Derek Chauvin, who was convicted in April for the murder of George Floyd, to 22.5 years:

“Today, my heart goes out to family of George Floyd who were forced to witness his murder and will have to live without their loved one for their remaining years. While some may interpret the sentencing as a form of justice, let’s not forget that true justice would mean that George Floyd would still be alive today.

“The law enforcement system too often produces outcomes that result in the systematic harm inflicted on Black, Latinx and Indigenous communities. While the court system has returned a verdict and sentence that is rarely applied to police, we still have much work ahead with addressing the root causes of police inflicted violence.”

Details: Category: Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas News; Published: Friday, June 04, 2021 04:05 PM

Senator Pacione-Zayas

“This plan fosters greater equity for a workforce entrusted with our most valuable assets—our children.”

CHICAGO – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas’ (D-Chicago) plan to bolster the early childhood education workforce by creating a statewide higher education consortium passed the Illinois General Assembly May 31. The General Assembly also approved $110 million for standing up the consortium through American Rescue Plan Act federal funds.

“This consortium represents a collaborative effort within the higher education ecosystem to streamline opportunities to upskill incumbent early childhood professionals who are place-based, low wage earners who are mostly women of color,” Pacione-Zayas said. “We need to remove barriers by expanding access and affordability in this field to show support for the workforce that cares for and educates our youngest while families work and pursue educational goals.”

Details: Category: Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas News; Published: Wednesday, June 02, 2021 03:05 PM

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) issued the following statement on the passage of a state budget that fully funds a $350 million increase to school Evidence-Based Funding, level funding for Illinois universities and community colleges, and a $110 million investment toward opening pathways for the early childhood workforce to pursue credentials, associate’s, and bachelor’s degrees:

“Despite so many challenges, the General Assembly was able to come together to ensure schools will receive increased funding according to the Evidence-Based Funding formula, and universities will be fully funded. Especially now, as we face a year where many students will be returning to school in-person for the first time, we have to fulfill our promise as a state to provide a high-quality education.

“In a time when schools and universities have adapted to the realities of a debilitating pandemic, this funding is even more crucial. These critical resources will extend a lifeline to students, faculty, and families.

“In the days ahead, I am eager to speak to residents of the 20th Senate District about the particulars of this spending plan and how it will affect them and to urge the governor to act swiftly to sign these appropriations into law.”

Details: Category: Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas News; Published: Thursday, May 27, 2021 08:12 PM

Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas

SPRINGFIELD – To ensure that students with disabilities can count on consistent accessibility standards in their remote learning, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas passed legislation in the Senate today requiring new statewide standards for web-based education.

"We need to learn from the challenges we've faced this past year, and acknowledge the reality that for many of our students, remote learning can be a major asset to their education if we make the effort to reasonably accommodate them," Pacione-Zayas said. "It's our duty to make these accommodations. I am gratified to see this pass the Senate."

The state's obligation to provide Free Appropriate Public Education to students with disabilities applies to almost 18% of Illinois students, Pacione-Zayas said. In light of remote learning challenges revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the likelihood remote learning will persist as a mode of education in the future, adopting consistent standards is key, she said.

Details: Category: Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas News; Published: Wednesday, May 26, 2021 12:49 PM

Senator Pacione-Zayas

CHICAGO – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) announced Wednesday a $250,000 construction project to improve and update a stretch of Kimball Avenue as part of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s multi-year construction plan.

“This project will bring some much-needed improvements to this part of the city, including accessibility updates,” Pacione-Zayas said. “It’s always good to see IDOT make infrastructure improvements that make our roadways a little more accessible and generate good jobs at the same time.”

Details: Category: Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas News; Published: Friday, April 23, 2021 04:38 PM

Senator Pacione-Zayas SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate passed a plan by State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) to allow for the designation of cultural districts in Illinois, something she said would help to affirm the identity of communities in Illinois and preserve their distinct legacies.

"We want our communities to proudly reflect the identity, contributions and history of the people who have helped build them,” Pacione-Zayas said Friday after the measure passed the Senate. “This gives them a chance to pursue community-driven economic opportunity initiatives that ensure our neighborhoods preserve their unique cultures and continue to build legacies."