SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Castro (D- Elgin) released the following statement following Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget address:

“This year has been unimaginably difficult for families in Illinois and across the country. As we have adjusted to the new reality, it is important that our state budget focuses on how to best support those who have been hit the hardest by the pandemic.

“While the budget proposal isn’t perfect and we continue to negotiate how to utilize the funds that we have, I look forward to working with my colleagues to provide stability for residents of our state.”

ELGIN – During a virtual press conference this morning, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) announced the reintroduction of the Clean Energy Jobs Act and called for its passage.

“It is clear that the time for the Clean Energy Jobs Act is now,” Castro said. “Illinois must take state-level action to ensure the benefits of clean energy policy flow equitably to communities of color which are often left behind, support the development of rooftop solar and energy efficiency programs, hold all utilities accountable, deploy electric vehicles, and support a just transition for former fossil fuel communities.”

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ELGIN – The Senate Executive Committee for the 102nd General Assembly will have new leadership, as State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) was announced as its Chair.

“I am honored to have been selected to Chair the Executive Committee, and I am excited to get to work solving some our state’s most pressing issues,” Castro said. “Some of the most influential and impactful bills come through that Committee, and the debate they inspire is always informative and often persuasive. It will be a challenging role, but it’s one that I know I can handle and I’m looking forward to seeing what proposals my colleagues bring to the table.”

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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) and several other members of the Illinois Senate were sworn in as the 102nd General Assembly began earlier today. Castro’s inauguration marks the start of her second term.

“I was very proud of all the good my colleagues and I were able to accomplish during my first term, and I am both honored and humbled that the people I represented trusted me enough to continue that work for another General Assembly,” Castro said. “There is still a lot of work that needs to be done, particularly to address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I am eager to begin the conversations with my fellow lawmakers to make Illinois a better place to live.”

Castro was first elected to the Senate in Nov. 2016 for a four-year term. Her current term, along with the terms of entire 102nd General Assembly, expires Jan. 11, 2023.