Women Employed Celebrates Illinois Legislative Victories for Women and Families

CHICAGO, June 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Following determined advocacy from Women Employed, our partner organizations, and supporters, the Illinois General Assembly has passed a number of bills that advance equity for Illinois' women and families.

These measures were included in a comprehensive legislative agenda that Women Employed provided to Governor Pritzker upon his election to office. We praise both the governor and the Illinois General Assembly for prioritizing these policies:

• No Salary History (HB 834): Strengthens the Illinois Equal Pay Act by banning employers from asking job candidates for their salary history.
• Strengthened Protections Against Workplace Harassment (SB 75): Protects all Illinois workers against sexual and all forms of harassment by strengthening trainings, investigations, and enforcement.
• Increased Funding for the Monetary Award Program (MAP): Increases funding to the MAP program by $50 million to ensure that more low-income students can afford college.
• Raise the Minimum Wage (SB 1): Gradually raises the minimum wage from the current $8.25/hour to $15/hour by 2025.
• Reduce Remediation for College Students (SJR 41): Creates an advisory council to ensure that colleges and universities maximize the probability that students who need to catch up in math and/or English succeed and to accelerate their progress toward completion.
• Support Undocumented Students (HB 2691): Will make sure undocumented students are eligible for state financial aid, including MAP grants.
• Fair Tax (SJRCA 1): A constitutional amendment, allowing voters to decide whether our state should adopt a Fair Tax.

While we celebrate these victories, there is still more work to do to ensure that all women are treated fairly in the workplace, are able to attain the skills they need for the jobs they want, and are respected for the work they do. We will continue to advocate for the remaining items on our 2019 legislative agenda: http://bit.ly/2019illinoiswomensagenda.

Women Employed relentlessly pursues equity for women in the workforce by effecting policy change, expanding access to educational opportunities, and advocating for fair and inclusive workplaces to make the world a better place for us all. Since 1973, Women Employed has opened doors, broken down barriers, and created fundamental, systemic change for working women. For more information, visit https://womenemployed.org, or follow @WomenEmployed on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

SOURCE Women Employed