D’Amico Fights to Pass Balanced Budget, Protect First Responders, Improve Road Safety and Strengthen Women’s Rights during 2018 Legislative Session

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago, worked to pass a bipartisan, balanced budget, pass gun-safety measures to protect first responders, increase safety on Illinois roads and stop President Trump’s attack on women’s rights by strengthening state-level protections during the spring legislative session.

D’Amico worked with Republicans and Democrats to pass a balanced budget that holds the line on taxes and spending, while continuing to correct Gov. Bruce Rauner’s failures. The budget eliminates wasteful spending within state agencies in order to invest finite resources in critical services for local communities, including $350 million in new funding for schools, violence-prevention programs that will keep families safe from senseless shootings, and lifesaving medical care for seniors. By carefully managing spending, D’Amico’s budget plan provides a $15 million surplus and commits another $1 billion to paying down old bills accrued during Rauner’s budget crisis.

“The damage done by the governor to this state through his budget crisis was catastrophic,” said D’Amico. “This budget is part of the healing process that will continue to move our state forward.”

D’Amico also led on gun-safety initiatives, especially measures to protect first responders. Most notably, D’Amico backed the Paul Bauer Act, House Bill 1469, in response to the tragic death of Chicago Police Cdr. Paul Bauer. In Feb 2018, a fleeing suspect shot the 31-year Chicago Police department veteran six times using a semi-automatic weapon with a 30-round clip. The Paul Bauer Act would limit the number of bullets that can be sold in clips going forward.

“Even as shootings in Chicago have risen, first responders continue to have our backs,” D’Amico said. “We need to do everything in our power to have their backs by preventing criminals from gaining access to the weapons that place first responders in harm’s way.”

 

D’Amico also partnered with Secretary of State Jesse White on critical driver safety legislation, specifically an initiative to reduce texting while driving. According to the National Safety Council, texting while driving is six times more likely to cause an accident than driving drunk, with one out of every four accidents caused by texting while driving. D’Amico’s legislation ends the “warning” police must provide to drivers the first time they are caught texting while driving. D’Amico was selected as the 2018 “Legislator of the Year” by the Illinois Insurance Association (IIA) for his advocacy to discourage distracted driving.

“Texting while driving is a deadly habit that is still too popular with drivers, especially young drivers,” D’Amico continued.  “It’s time our laws reflect the seriousness of this issue.”

D’Amico also was instrumental on issues important to women’s rights, most notably the effort to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in Illinois, SJRCA4, and passing equal pay protections for women, House Bill 4163.

“Trump has imposed more barriers that prevent women from accessing health care and equal pay,” D’Amico continued. “That’s why the state-level protections we pass to push back against the Trump agenda are so critical.”