Aquino: Social service funding top priority in new budget

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) commended Gov. JB Pritzker’s focus on social service funding during his first budget address.

“Social services in my district and across the state are still reeling from the previous administration’s manufactured budget crisis,” said Aquino. “A budget is a moral document, and I am thrilled that moving forward we will exercise morality by serving the most vulnerable of our citizens.”

During the 2015-2017 budget impasse essential social service agencies that rely on state funding went unpaid, forcing most to limit services and some to close their doors indefinitely. These services include homeless shelters, addiction treatment centers, domestic violence shelters and others.

“Not only is there a financial cost from the impasse, but a significant human cost as well,” said Aquino. “People could not access the services and help they needed and I am glad that this administration is going to make that a top priority. We are going to bring stability and dignity back to peoples’ lives.”

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Aquino: minimum wage increase is long overdue

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) is praising legislation signed into law today that will give working families a raise by increasing the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025.

“Paying people in Illinois what their labor is worth is long overdue,” said Aquino. “For years, people have been underpaid to the point to where, even if they work more than 60 hours a week, they still live in poverty. That is immoral, and we can do better.”

The minimum wage will raise to $10 per hour by the end of 2020, and increase by $1 each year until it reaches $15 in 2025. The law also provides a payroll withholding refund to small businesses to assist them in the transition to a higher minimum wage.

“At a time when there is massive wealth inequality, raising the minimum wage will help bring power and dignity back to the lives of working people – regardless of where they live in our state,” said Aquino.

Senator Aquino looks forward to working with Gov. JB Pritzker to pass more progressive legislation to help poor and working families in Illinois.

Aquino applauds attorney general's actions on TPS

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) praised Attorney General Kwame Raoul for joining a coalition of 22 attorneys general in opposition to the potential deportation of people who hold Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

“At a time when immigrants are being relentlessly attacked by the President of the United States, I am happy to see that the State of Illinois under Attorney General Raoul will stand up to protect these people,” said Aquino.

TPS protects individuals whose countries are affected by war, natural disasters and other crises. There are approximately 300,000 people in the United States who hold TPS. The Department of Homeland Security announced in 2017 that it plans to terminate TPS for individuals from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan.

“The people who hold Temporary Protected Status fled to the United States due to war, climate disasters, and other tragedies,” said Aquino. “The Department of Homeland Security has made it clear that they are going to carry out the president’s racist agenda and target immigrants of color. We cannot allow this to go on, and I am grateful for Attorney General Raoul’s commitment.”

Aquino proposes closing corporate tax loophole

SPRINGFIELD – More state dollars could soon be available to support vital services for vulnerable populations across Illinois under a proposal that would limit the amount retailers take home for assessing their sales taxes.

State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) introduced a measure that would cap the sales tax vendor discount at $1,000 per year beginning in 2020.

“In order to make things right, we need to cut the corporate welfare system that we have not only in this state, but in this country,” said Senator Aquino.

Illinois is one of 28 states that have a Retailers’ Discount and one of 12 states that does not place a cap on the amount of revenue a retailer can keep for collecting sales taxes.

Currently, retailers are allowed to keep 1.75 percent of the sales taxes spent at their stores. Senate Bill 1132 holds 85 percent of retailers harmless, and is projected to increase tax revenues yearly by $114.5 million.

The legislation is assigned to the Senate Revenue Committee.