Victory for Illinois Women & Families

Thanks to the determination of advocates like WE and like YOU, the Illinois legislature recently voted to pass a number of progressive policies that will improve the economic status of women and remove barriers to economic equity.

Contact your legislators today and let them know that you support this forward movement!

  • No Salary History (HB 834): IL will strengthen the Equal Pay Act by banning employers from asking job candidates for their salary history. 
  • Strengthened Protections Against Workplace Harassment (SB 75): IL will lead the way in protecting all workers against sexual and all forms of harassment by strengthening trainings, investigations, and enforcement. 
  • Fully Funded Monetary Award Program (MAP):  IL will increase funding to the MAP program by $50 million to ensure that more low-income students can afford college and to bring our state closer to securing a fully-funded MAP program by FY20.
  • Raise the Minimum Wage: IL will gradually raise the minimum wage from the current $8.25/hour—where it’s been stuck since 2010—to $15/hour by 2025, starting with an increase to $9.25 in January of 2020.
  • Reduce Remediation for College Students (SJR 41): IL will create 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, leading to better opportunity and higher paying jobs.
  • Support Undocumented Students (HB 2691): IL will make sure undocumented students are eligible for state financial aid, including MAP grants. 
  • Fair Tax (SJRCA 1): IL approved a Fair Tax constitutional amendment, allowing voters to decide whether our state should adopt a Fair Tax that would provide a tax cut to the vast majority of Illinoisans while asking the wealthy to pay their fair share.

Join Women Employed and thank your legislators today!