Andrade Fights for Working Families, Safer Communities, and Funding for Critical Services

SPRINGFIELD, Ill – Following adjournment of the spring legislative session, State Rep. Jaime Andrade, D-Chicago, fought for key reforms to raise wages for working families, hold the wealthy accountable and pass a balanced budget that funds vital services.

Andrade supported one of this session’s most historic and progressive reform that would provide tax relief for 98.4% of local families. The Fair Tax Amendment and accompanying rates will not only provide necessary tax relief for families, but require the ultra-wealthy in Illinois to pay their fair share and generate an additional $3 billion in new revenue, which would be used to fund human services, invest in education and job trainings.  The amendment, if approved by voters on the 2020 ballot, would allow the General Assembly to change the current regressive flat tax structure.

“Balancing the budget on the backs of the middle class while the rich get richer is not the economy our working families deserve,” said Andrade. “It is time we end the era of regressive flat taxation and ensure the wealthy pay their fair share through the Fair Tax.”

Andrade supported Senate Bill 1, which will gradually increase the statewide minimum wage from $8.25 to $15 an hour by 2025. The legislation also provides tax credits for small businesses and non-profits to help them offset the increased wages and hire new employees.

“Families should not be struggling to make ends meet because they are not being paid fairly for their labor,” said Andrade. “I personally have endured the struggles and the anxieties that come with making minimum wage despite working full-time. If we invest in our workforce by paying them adequately, they will reinvest in our communities and our local economies will become stronger.”

Andrade voted in favor of a responsible budget that respects the financial burdens already placed on the middle class and funds critical services like breast and cervical cancer screenings, homelessness intervention and addiction treatment services.

“For too long, we had a governor who chose to blindly cut services with no regard to our neighbors who relied upon them,” added Andrade. “I am proud to have supported a balanced and humane budget that does not forget about those who we were elected to serve.”