SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) is condemning a decision by Dwight, Illinois village trustees to annex 88 acres of land to host a potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immigrant detention facility.

“It is disgusting that the village trustees value construction jobs over the human rights of immigrants,” said Aquino. “ICE has consistently violated human rights to carry out the president’s racist agenda of deporting immigrants of color, and they are not welcome to carry out that agenda in my state.”

ICE is looking to build a $20 million detention facility near Illinois 17 and Interstate 55. Village trustees voted 5-2 to annex the property there and have been in talks with ICE to facilitate the construction of the site.

Several hundred individuals in Central Illinois protested the consideration of the facility and the Dwight Village Board meeting erupted with anger as village trustees voted in favor of construction.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Omar Aquino’s (D-Chicago) bill exempting certain health products from the state sales tax passed the Senate Revenue Committee today.

Senate Bill 1858 exempts male and female condoms, incontinence products, diapers and baby wipes from the state’s sales tax. Under the current law, these items are taxed at the same rate as luxury goods.

“People who need these health products shouldn’t be subject to an additional financial burden,” said Aquino. “In most cases the people who are purchasing these health products young families who are just starting out. They have enough financial hardship as it is, and we need to remove the added cost on these items.”

In 2016, the state repealed the sales tax on tampons and other feminine hygiene products for similar reasons. That bill passed the Senate and House unanimously and was signed by Gov. Rauner.

Senate Bill 1858 now goes before the entire Senate for a vote.

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.”

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.