SPRINGFIELD – After the Illinois Senate approved the Fiscal Year 2025 budget and tax relief that will offer support for families, State Senator Javier Loera Cervantes (D-Chicago) released the following statement:

“Residents are struggling with rising costs across Illinois, which is why this year’s budget invests in a new child tax credit for low-income families. This will continue to offer relief for parents who are struggling to afford basic necessities and help provide them with more financial flexibility in their everyday budget.

“I am proud of my partnership with HOPE Chicago and I am excited to see $8 million go toward their initiative to help folks looking at higher education find new pathways through debt-free schooling opportunities. This will make higher education more accessible for families throughout our community.

“I am also grateful for the budget’s allocations to community violence prevention programs that assist residents with de-escalating and addressing the root causes of crime. I look forward to seeing investments into community development projects that will improve the quality of life of our residents and help continue the growth and prosperity of the 1^st District.

“With funding for public safety, safety net hospitals, mental health resources and educational opportunities, we are incorporating the needs of diverse communities across the state into the budget. With these investments, Illinois will continue to support communities through this budget and make sure they have our support.”

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SPRINGFIELD – As an advocate for immigrant employees, State Senator Javier Cervantes and State Representative Eva-Dina Delgado announced their initiative to protect marginalized workers from unfair enforcement action is now one step closer to becoming law.

“It is all too common for immigrant employees, whose last names may be input with slight differences in records such as a dash in place of a space, or a letter with and without an accent, to be flagged during the work verification process,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “This simple bureaucratic error can be detrimental to their livelihood, so adjusting this system to allow workers more time to correct these slight mistakes is a commonsense decision with massive positive impacts on marginalized workers in this state.”

Federal immigration law requires employers to verify the legal work status of their employees through the E-Verify system. E-Verify compares information from an employee’s I-9 Form to records available to the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to confirm eligibility. If discrepancies are found, immigrant workers have the possibility of receiving a “no match” letter for a variety of reasons, including instances where the individual changed their name due to marriage. Many employers terminate employees upon receiving this notice, even though they could be legally working in the United States.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Javier Cervantes is making it easier to cancel unwanted gym memberships thanks to legislation that he passed through the Senate to streamline how people can cancel a contract.

“Giving consumers simple and efficient methods to cancel their subscription or contract helps ensure they don’t fall victim to confusing subscription services that automatically renew payments for services they no longer use,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “This legislation will simply update business practices to fit with modern times.”

Under the new legislation, businesses offering physical fitness services, like gym memberships, would have to allow customers to cancel their contract either online or by email, instead of only by mail or in-person. 

SPRINGFIELD – To clarify and provide more transparency on criminal possession charges, State Senator Javier Cervantes is moving legislation to retitle these charges to more accurately reflect the nature of the crimes.  

“With this change, we can provide more clarity around criminal charges, and in turn, more support for those charged – particularly minorities who are disproportionately arrested for these crimes,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “The unlawful use of a weapon might seem like it indicates violent activities, while in reality these charges could be as simple as possessing a firearm at the time of arrest. By clarifying the name of these charges, we can help impacted individuals find better access to supportive services.”

According to Cabrini Green Legal Aid, more than 86,500 people have been arrested and more than 33,000 were convicted of unlawful use of a weapon in Illinois since 2009. This disproportionately impacts people and communities of color, with Black individuals comprising 69% of all people arrested for UUW, and negatively affects people’s ability to secure housing and employment.