D’Amico Works to Build a Stronger Middle Class Through Equal Pay and Tax Relief in 2019 Legislative Session

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – During the 2019 legislative session, State Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago, worked to build a stronger Illinois by building a stronger middle class by championing measures to strengthen the working families of Illinois including equal pay for equal work, raising the minimum wage, a Fair Tax to cut taxes for nearly 98 percent of his district, a tax credit for the replacement of lead pipes in homes, a measure to make it easier for parents to receive a state ID for their children, and a tougher privacy protection measures for individuals applying for an ID in Illinois.

“After four years of destruction and division driven by former Governor Bruce Rauner, I am proud to help Illinois get back on track by focusing on building a stronger middle class. Throughout this critical session, I’ve worked with members of all parties to strengthen the working families of our state,” D’Amico said. “Raising the minimum wage along with instituting a new tax credit for small businesses will put billions of dollars into our local economy and build a stronger Illinois. Working together to pass equal pay for equal work will strengthen the middle class by helping ensure that women aren’t shortchanged in the workplace by being underpaid.”

D’Amico sponsored House Bill 834, which prohibits employers from forcing women into a lifetime of lower pay by requiring applicants to submit their salary history and cracks down on corporations that pay equally-qualified women less than men for performing the same work. D’Amico also supported Senate Bill 1, a historic measure for a series of annual increases in the Illinois minimum wage that also provides tax credits for small businesses to offset a significant portion of these new wages.

D’Amico also shepherded two bills unanimously through the legislature, one to make it less expensive for parents to obtain identification for their children and another to make sure that information submitted the Secretary of State’s office to obtain an ID is protected. By lowering the cost of a child identification card, House Bill 808 helps ease travel burdens for kids and assists in distributing information quickly to law enforcement in the event of an emergency. To protect the privacy of Illinoisans, D’Amico sponsored Senate Bill 1344, which ensures that documents required to prove an individual’s identity for an identification card are not shared or released by the Secretary of State’s office unless there is an investigation by law enforcement or an investigation into fraud or misconduct of the individual who applied for the ID.

“Lowering the cost of an ID card for children will be a benefit both to families and to local law enforcement because cost shouldn’t be a factor when it comes to keeping our kids safe,” D’Amico said. “And in a time when identity theft is on the rise, the personal information submitted by applicants for an identification card should be protected from being released unless needed for investigatory purposes.”

D’Amico also sponsored a measure to protect families and children from the dangers of lead water service pipes through House Bill 2128, which provides a tax credit for replacing lead water pipes at residences. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that there is no safe level of lead in drinking water and that lead in drinking water causes behavioral and physical effects at low exposure levels for infants and young children. The state of Minnesota found that replacing all of its lead pipes could provide billions in economic benefits by acting as a preventative health measure. If Illinois replaced lead service lines to homes, citizens would be healthier and health care costs would be lower.

“I’m proud of all the work done this year to build a stronger Illinois by building a stronger middle class. Raising the minimum wage and strengthening equal pay laws will help grow our economy,” D’Amico said. “Creating a fair tax system will ensure the wealthy will pay their fair share while providing tax relief for millions of middle class families and continuing to work to replace dangerous lead pipes will help cut health care costs for middle class families.”