CHICAGO – State Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago, and Alderman Samantha Nugent with special co-hosts Sheriff Tom Dart and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos, are hosting a free paper shredding and prescription drug disposal on Saturday, June 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Trinity Slovak Lutheran Church, located at 5106 N. La Crosse Ave. in Chicago.

“This event is free and open to the public, and I encourage all local residents to take advantage of this opportunity to help protect themselves against identity theft,” said D’Amico. “Identity theft can affect anyone, and shredding old documents can reduce the chances of personal information being stolen. Many of us have old documents lying around that can easily lead to identity theft if they fall into the wrong hands, and it is important to make sure these documents are properly destroyed when they are no longer needed.”

D’Amico’s paper shred and prescription drug disposal day will be held in the parking lot of Trinity Slovak Lutheran Church, located at 5106 N. La Crosse Ave. in Chicago from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A large, mobile document shredder will be on-site to securely destroy confidential papers free of charge. There is a limit of two boxes per car and residents are asked not to leave cardboard boxes at the event. Shred day attendees will be assisted on a first-come, first-serve basis until the shred truck reaches capacity.

“As spring comes to a close, many families have cleaned out their homes and garages to find receipts and records that they no longer need,” said D’Amico. “Hosting a shred day allows people to get rid of these old bank statements, credit card bills, medical records and other documents safely and securely so that their information cannot be obtained by scam artists and criminals.”

For more information, D’Amico’s constituent service office can be reached at (773) 736-0218 or by email at johnd@ilga.gov.

CHICAGO – State Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago, is continuing his efforts to increase access to career opportunities in the trades by working to expand vocational job training through his support of a law creating the Training in Building Trades Program, which awards grants to community organizations that offer jobs training classes.

“I have seen firsthand how a career in the trades can offer good-paying reliable jobs for families like mine and countless more in our area,” D’Amico said. “Especially as the price of higher education has skyrocketed, going into the trades offers a rewarding career path for young people.”

To create good-paying jobs for middle-class families, D’Amico passed House Bill 2304, which creates the Training in Building Trades Program in the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). The goal of this program is to provide opportunities for people between 18 and 35 to learn trade skills, especially in construction, electrical trades or plumbing. The bill received strong bipartisan support and was recently signed into law by the governor.

“Many companies, especially manufacturing firms, have positions that they need to fill, yet they don’t have applicants with the proper training to fill these jobs,” D’Amico said. “The skills gained in vocational training programs are highly in-demand and will open up job opportunities with good-pay and benefits for young people and individuals looking to transition into a new career.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Landlords in Illinois will now be prohibited from using a tenant’s immigration status to threaten eviction under a new law from state Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago.

“Every family deserves to feel secure in their home, but unfortunately President Trump’s xenophobic rhetoric and actions have immigrant families in our community frightened,” D’Amico said. “Thankfully, Illinois is standing up for immigrant families by protecting their right to live without the fear that they will be evicted due to their status as immigrants.”

D’Amico supported Senate Bill 1290, the Immigrant Tenant Protection Act, to restrict the ability of a landlord to threaten, punish or evict or a tenant based solely on their actual or perceived immigration status. Violations of the new law can result in a civil penalty of up to $2,000. Illinois is now the second state, after California, to enact a law protecting immigrant tenants.

“Illinois values the contributions that hardworking immigrant families make to our state,” D’Amico said. “By banning landlords from using someone’s immigration status to threaten or harass a tenant, we can help ensure that those hardworking families feel welcome in Illinois.”

CHICAGO – A reform sponsored by state Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago, that aims to close the wage gap by prohibiting employers from using unfair practices to force women and people of color into a lifetime of lower pay was recently signed into law.

“Every day women are paid less for doing the exact same job as men, it’s simply wrong,” D’Amico said. “Women deserve equal pay for equal work and this law is a vital step forward to help narrow the gender wage gap.”

D’Amico sponsored and helped pass House Bill 834, which updates the Equal Pay Act by prohibiting employers from requiring job candidates to submit their current wage or salary history. Given historic wage discrimination based on gender and race, banning this unfair practice will prevent a history of unfair pay from following women and minorities from job to job. Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed the bill into law.

“This law moves us forward, however there’s more work to be done to ensure to women are compensated fairly,” D’Amico said. “As a strong advocate for equal pay, I look forward to continuing to work to make equal pay a reality in Illinois.”

CHICAGO – Police and prosecutors will be able to charge sexually violent criminals at any time under a new law passed by state Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago, removing that statute of limitations for sexual assault.

“Survivors of the vicious, violent crime of sexual assault deserve justice, regardless of when they are able to come forward,” D’Amico said. “This bill offers sexual assault survivors the time they need to come to police and prosecutors and make their voices heard.”

D’Amico supported House Bill 2135, which eliminates the statute of limitations for sexual assault. Currently, such offenses must be prosecuted within three to ten years, depending on when a survivor reported the offense to law enforcement. This change will assist survivors of sexual assault because the trauma-induced effects of a sexual assault can prevent victims from coming forward in the immediate aftermath of the assault.

The measure receive bipartisan support in the House and the Senate, and was recently signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“Too many sexual assault survivors are unable to speak about what happened to them and this feeling can last long past their current ability to seek justice,” D’Amico said. “Removing this roadblock is a major step forward to help ensure that survivors have the ability to receive the justice they deserve.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – As part of his commitment to building a stronger middle class, state Rep. John D’Amico is highlighting his support for a measure to create a property tax relief fund for homeowners in Illinois.

“Fairer taxes for the middle class means that homeowners need real relief from the burden of high property taxes,” D’Amico said. “I am committed to ensuring families and seniors can stay in their homes and aren’t driven away because of high property taxes.”

D’Amico backed Senate Bill 39, a measure to create the Illinois Property Tax Relief Fund to provide rebates to homeowners. Money appropriated to the property tax relief fund would be divided by the number of property tax homestead exemptions in the state to provide an equal rebate to property tax paying homeowners. The rebate amount would be stated as an individual line on the property tax bill of each homeowner.

D’Amico is a longtime advocate of cutting property taxes for middle-class families, as well as seniors and veterans. Previously, D’Amico has supported measures to increase the exemption for all property taxpaying homeowners and increase the exemptions for seniors and veterans. D’Amico has also supported a statewide, multi-year property tax freeze.

“For too many families, the dream of homeownership has turned into a nightmare because of skyrocketing property taxes,” D’Amico said. “This measure will provide direct property tax relief for middle-class families and help build a stronger Illinois.”

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.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago, is supporting a bill to crack down on human trafficking in Illinois and provide new training to police to help detect and prevent exploitation of women and children.

“Human trafficking, involuntary servitude, and sexual exploitation have no place in our society, and it is critical that we crack down on these heinous crimes,” D’Amico said. “We must amplify the voices of survivors and make sure law enforcement has the tools necessary to recognize and prevent human trafficking.”

D’Amico is supporting Senate Bill 1890, a measure to strengthen the penalties for human trafficking. Under the bill, businesses that profit from human trafficking, involuntary servitude and sexual exploitation could faces fines of up to $100,000. Law enforcement officers would receive new human trafficking recognition and prevention training under the measure. Additionally, the bill gives police and survivors more time to bring traffickers to justice, extending the criminal and civil statutes of limitations to 25 years.

“Human trafficking thrives in silence and this measure will help lift up the voices of survivors of involuntary servitude and sexual exploitation,” D’Amico said. “By making sure that police have the necessary tools to crack down on human traffickers, we can help ensure that predators who exploit women and children will be brought to justice.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago, is fighting to make health care more affordable by passing legislation to protect working families from excessive health insurance rate hikes.

“Working families deserve affordable, high-quality health insurance in order to meet their health care needs,” D’Amico said. “We need to ensure that insurance companies are putting patient care ahead of profits.”

D’Amico recently passed House Bill 471 to prevent excessive and unfair health insurance rate hikes by requiring proposed rate hikes to be reviewed by the Illinois Department of Insurance. The department would have the authority to prohibit rate increases that are deemed unfair or unreasonable. According to the Chicago Tribune, states with laws similar to House Bill 471 have lower health insurance prices than states without them.

“No family or person should have to sacrifice doctor visits, prescriptions, or lifesaving care because of out of control health insurance costs,” said D’Amico. “This legislation will protect working families and help them keep their health insurance plans.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago, voted to invest in businesses that invest in Illinois by requiring state agencies to give a purchase preference to American-made and Illinois-made products.

“Supporting the manufacturers, miners, and producers in our state and country will help create good jobs and promote economic growth,” said D’Amico. “Expanding the ways in which the state can support Illinois businesses and American companies will make sure that important public dollars are invested in local businesses and their partners across the United States.”

D’Amico supported House Bill 356 and House Bill 357, both of which advanced through the Illinois House. House Bill 356 strengthens Illinois’ law requiring state agencies to give a purchase preference for American-made products. The measure will update the definition of products made in the United States to include items mined or produced in the United States and to mirror federal law for “Buy American” software purchases. House Bill 357 adds “Buy Illinois” provisions to state law similar to the state’s “Buy American” provisions. Together, taking these steps will give state government more ways to support American producers and manufacturers, investing tax dollars in local job creation instead of padding the profits of big overseas corporations.

“I am proud to stand for Illinois workers and American workers by making it easier for state government to support local businesses and American companies,” D’Amico said. “Using our public resources to investing in Illinois-made and American-made products will support good, local, American jobs.”