Yesterday marked my 2-year anniversary representing the 20^th District as your State Senator in the Illinois General Assembly. I can’t help but reflect proudly on all accomplished during this time, and look ahead to what we will continue to in Springfield and across the district advancing the people’s agenda of the 20^th District.

When I was sworn in on December 21, 2020, our community was in the midst of the first year of a global pandemic that deepened economic hardship, weakened our health care system, disrupted in-person learning for schools, and resulted in many lives lost and traumatized. Because I had been involved in mutual aid work with The Puerto Rican Agenda and Illinois Unidos, I was clear that my charge would grow in both crisis response and long-term solution development. However, I was very clear that that work would lean into the wisdom of the community because those closest to the problems often have the best solutions.

In January 2021, I launched the first arm of a co-governance model that would be a mechanism or accountability to constituents and aid in demystifying government with community members through monthly virtual town hall meetings. Each month we shared information on development of the state response to the pandemic, any economic relief we were able to provide, and a report back on progress made with legislative proposals in Springfield. Despite the stress and deep personal loss many of us were experiencing, I look back on memories of the start of my term with a sense of gratitude because I was able to establish bidirectional channel of communication between government and folks in my district. At the onset of my term, I set a standard of direct and open communication between my office and community members, and I am proud to uphold this standard in my service today.

In the statehouse, I hit the ground running with a progressive agenda focused on early childhood care and interventions, empowering local school governance, housing stabilization, and supporting the early childhood workforce. I addressed a critical shortage in early childhood educators by sponsoring legislation, House Bill 2878, to provide streamlined pathways to college degrees for those already working in the field with a $200 million investment in scholarships and supports to upskill more than 5,000 professionals across the state. I also led an initiative to waive spring testing requirements for Illinois students in acknowledgment of the historically difficult year young people in particular have had during the pandemic, which has upended day-to-day life in schools. We celebrated the passage of Senate Bill 101 that empowered the local school councils of Chicago Public Schools by expanding student representation and restoring powers to ensure that site-based management teams can truly function as democratic mechanism to ensure local accountability. We also passed my bill, Senate Bill 1833, which created the first in nation the state designated cultural districts in Illinois, which will affirm the unique cultural identity of Illinois communities and preserve their distinct legacies by spurring economic development without displacement.

During 2021, I was proud to uplift the legislative agenda set by the Illinois Black Caucus, who embarked on an ambitious plan to dismantle systemic racism in the state of Illinois. I supported legislation that aimed to reform four key pillars of Illinois of government: criminal legal system; education and workforce development; economic access, equity, and opportunity; and health care and human services. One of these laws was the Pretrial Fairness Act that abolishes the cash bail system and prohibits individuals accused of crimes from being detained before their trial simply because they can’t afford bail. This legislation is one of the most monumental laws to come from the statehouse, and addresses the ways Black and Latine Illinoisians have disproportionately suffered under the criminal legal system.  I am proud that we were able to uphold the initial intent of the Pretrial Fairness Act through Veto session, and that I was a part of the immense effort from people from all sectors to get this legislation passed and stand for justice in our state. It is the first of many steps towards ending systemic racism and classism in the criminal legal system, and I look forward to continue the work addressing these issues when we return to Springfield.

In 2022, I spearheaded the Too Young to Test Act, Senate Bill 3986, to prohibit the Illinois State Board of Education from developing or administering standardized tests for the state’s youngest children from Pre-K through second grade. Additionally, I advanced measures to provide students with more options after high school graduation and help the state address the ongoing teacher vacancy issue. Senate Bill 3990 requires school counseling services to include Career and Technical Education to help students consider secondary education plans following high school, while Senate Bill 3988 lowers the age for paraprofessionals in Pre-K through eighth grade classrooms to 18 years old, rather than 19.

Building on last year’s legislation to allow for the designation of cultural districts throughout the state, I spearheaded House Bill 5581, which designates a section of Milwaukee Avenue from Sangamon Street in Chicago to Greenwood Road in Niles as the Milwaukee Avenue Polish Heritage Corridor. I also championed Senate Bill 3991 to allow the state treasurer’s office to supplement CSAs for financially insecure households with additional funds and secured $2.5 million in the budget to make $50 seed deposits for every newborn starting January 2023.

Beyond my work in Springfield, I am proud of the district office team that has provided a variety of services to constituents. Through our district health navigator, we partnered with local health clinics to use my district office on the northwest side of Chicago as a near-weekly vaccination clinic, getting over 2,200 vaccines into the arms of residents in the area, as well as collecting and distributing N95 and KN95 masks to children during the height of the Omicron surge. I also launched the first-ever Early Childhood Resource Fair with neighboring Senator Omar Aquino to help direct members of the community to the resources that are available to them – setting their kids up for academic and personal success. I have loved the opportunity to connect members of the community to vital resources around them through our Back to School and Fall Health Fairs, District Office Open Houses, and Blood Drives, and look forward to continuing this practice with more events in 2023!

I am also proud to have watch the evolution of our second arm of operationalizing our co-governance model by inviting members of my constituency into the policy making process and ensure their ideas are heard and translated into action in Springfield. Our Policy Roundtable program focuses on recruiting stakeholders who live or work in the 20^th District to lend their expertise and lived experience on the issue areas of small business and the workforce, health, housing, violence prevention, environment, and education. These roundtables met throughout the 102^nd General Assembly and gave community members the opportunity to define priorities, raise issues, and discuss solutions that are most impacting them and their loved ones. I left these meetings invigorated and proud that I can champion these issues with a collective group of constituents rooted in problem solving, community wisdom, and active engagement.

Additionally, I am thrilled that the third arm of our co-governance model is anchored in offering space for young activists in our community to get involved in the legislative process. In 2022, I started the 20^th District Youth Advisory Council to encourage young people to get involved in the policymaking process. Aside from collecting feedback from their peers, researching policy solutions, and translating it into proposals for me to advance in Springfield, they have represented our office at various community events and literally brought services and resources to neighbors’ doors by canvassing throughout the district.

As your State Senator, I am deeply committed to deepen our shared governance model and seek your partnership to ensure that your perspective is included in policymaking. I cannot wait to see what we are going to accomplish together in the next year serving you as your state Senator. Wishing you and our loved ones a safe, healthy, and warm holiday season.

After the sudden passing of State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign), Senator Pacione-Zayas released the following statement:

"I am heartbroken at the news of Senator Bennett’s passing. As vice chair for the Higher education committee, we worked closely together to increase access and equity to institutions of higher education. His commitment to deep understanding of the issues and solving for problems that limit participation of all communities was something we both shared and lifted up in our committee work. His sense of humor was unmatched, and his love and commitment to his family was even greater. We swapped stories about our kids and how best to support their development, and I’m grateful for his suggestion to take the kids to the amazing indoor ferris wheel at Scheels during one of the times I had them with with me in Springfield. I will always cherish these memories of Scott, and am thankful for how much joy and humor he brought into my life and the lives of so many. We will miss him dearly in the Senate, and we are all sending our deepest condolences to his family."

Estimado amigo,

Después de una semana exitosa luchando por el Distrito 20 en Springfield, me enorgullece regresar a casa con actualizaciones sobre legislación nueva, preservamos la intencionalidad de la Ley de Justicia al Proceso Previo al Juicio, y más.

¡Lea más para saber qué ocurrió en Springfield, próximos eventos comunitarios, y cómo puede participar en el proceso legislativo antes de la sesión del 2023!

Como siempre, siéntase en libertad de comunicarse con mi oficina para recibir asistencia llamando al 773-278-2020, enviando un mensaje de texto al 773-207-7838, o mandando una nota a través de www.senatorpacionezayas.com/contact-us.

Sinceramente,

Senadora Estatal Cristina Pacione-Zayas | Distrito 20

Oportunidades de trabajo en el Distrito 20 y en el área

Revise mi webpage con la lista de oportunidades laborales en Chicago y en el Distrito 20. Ahí encontrará enlaces a empleos con el estado de Illinois, las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago, organizaciones locales y más.

Ley de Justicia al Proceso Previo al Juicio

En días previos a la sesión de veto, muchos de mis representados expresaron sus preocupaciones sobre las presiones para revocar la ley SAFE-T, que elimina las fianzas en una variedad de cargos por delitos. Se trata de una ley necesaria que es el primer paso para lograr que nuestro sistema de justicia realmente busque eso, la justicia, garantizando que todas las personas sean verdaderamente tratadas como inocentes hasta que se demuestre lo contrario, pues ahora no reciben las mismas libertades por su acceso, o falta de éste, a recursos económicos.

La ley original SAFE-T fue la culminación de docenas de horas de testimonios y negociaciones con gente de todos los sectores para garantizar que ofreciéramos una legislación clara y amplia. No obstante, debido a una campaña de desinformación de parte de quienes se oponen a la medida, pasamos incontables horas adicionales para asegurar que nadie saque de contexto esta ley.

Mi mayor prioridad cuando negociaba esta medida fue que la esencia de SAFE-T permaneciera igual: Que el sistema previo al juicio en Illinois sea más justo al crear un proceso que trate por igual a todos cuando se considere el riesgo que representan a la sociedad, el riesgo de que huyan, en lugar de preservar las ventajas que los ricos tienen sobre los pobres.

Estoy orgullosa de reportar que la nueva ley que aprobamos, HB 1095, preserva la intencionalidad original de la ley del Proceso Previo al Juicio y que solo aclara el lenguaje para garantizar que no pueda ser tomada fuera de contexto, como lo han intentado sus oponentes. La medida también aclara que cualquier persona que enfrente cargos el 1 de enero o después será considerada bajo el nuevo sistema de liberación previa al juicio para que haya una buena transición a la implementación de la ley del Proceso Previo al Juicio.

Me enorgullece el trabajo arduo de mis colegas de la Asamblea General al hacer historia con las agencias del orden, procuradores estatales, la Coalición End Money Bond, ACLU de Illinois, la Oficina de Defensores Públicos del Condado de Cook, la Coalición Contra la Violencia Doméstica, CAASE, y más. Si tiene preguntas sobre la ley por favor comuníquese con mi oficina.

Legislación Nueva

Cuando estuve en Springfield, impulsé el debido proceso y transparencia en el proceso de contratación en las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago al avanzar mi legislación HB 4933, en el Comité Ejecutivo. Actualmente, el proceso de revisión y contratación es muy opaco, y muchos candidatos calificados han sido ignorados o no han sido considerados para empleos para los que están preparados. Mi iniciativa incrementará la transparencia para los solicitantes al hacer público la rúbrica y la puntuación para cada paso en el proceso, permitiendo el proceso debido cuando los candidatos no avancen a la siguiente etapa de evaluación, y dará acceso a los Consejos Escolares Locales a todo el grupo de candidatos elegibles. HB 4399 fue aprobada por unanimidad en comité y espera deliberaciones futuras.

Para leer más sobre esta iniciativa, dé clic aquí. 

Mesas de Trabajo sobre Políticas Públicas

La gente más cercana a los problemas son los que generalmente tienen las mejores soluciones. Desafortunadamente, quienes terminan viviendo con las decisiones de políticas públicas establecidas por el gobierno normalmente no tienen un asiento en la mesa de negociaciones. Mi oficina senatorial está comprometida a crear espacios para que la gente del distrito legislativo 20 esté en la mesa de negociaciones—y lo han podido hacer a través de nuestro programa de Mesas de Trabajo sobre Políticas Públicas.

Nuestras Mesas sobre Políticas Públicas—un grupo de mis representados que se reúnen para definir las prioridades de políticas e incluso ser coautores de legislación—comenzarán a reunirse este mes vía Zoom. Si tiene ideas sobre políticas públicas en prevención de la violencia, el medio ambiente, vivienda, educación, salud, o negocios pequeños y fuerza laboral, lo invito a asistir. Nuestra gran sesión para resumir todas las ideas de políticas públicas cultivadas en cada mesa de trabajo se llevará a cabo el jueves 8 de diciembre de las 6 a las 7:30 p.m. Para registrarse y para más información, por favor envíe un correo electrónico a This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Feria de Recursos a la Salud Mental

¡La salud mental es tan importante como la salud física – pero puede ser difícil encontrar la atención necesaria, por ello, no se pierda mi próxima Feria de Recursos a la Salud Mental, el 8 de diciembre de 3 a 6 p.m., para enterarse sobre los recursos disponibles!

RSVP aquí: http://fb.me/e/3VrGvKog0

Qué he estado haciendo

He estado trabajando duro en Springfield en las semanas pasadas, desde celebrar la presidencia de Barack Obama como el primer presidente afroamericano en el lugar donde anunció su candidatura, hablando en la manifestación de la Ley del Proceso Previo al Juicio, y celebrando el aniversario 20 de la Fundación del Grupo Parlamentario Legislativo Latino en la Gala Raíces. ¡Manténgase al día con mis actividades en Facebook, Twitter e Instagram!

SPRINGFIELD – To provide more transparency in the current hiring process for principals in the Chicago Public School system, State Senator Cristina H. Pacione-Zayas in collaboration with Chicago Principals and Administrators Association introduced a new initiative to grant Local School Councils (LSCs) access to the universe of qualified applicants for these vital positions—ensuring viable candidates are not overlooked, and underqualified applicants are not chosen over their peers.  The bill also increases protections and clarity for candidates throughout the process.

“Under the current policy, local school councils do not get the full view of eligible candidates for the role of principal—and with a more narrow view, they often miss out on candidates that may be better suited for one of the most important drivers in school success—the instructional leader,” said Senator Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago). “I am passionate about making systemic change in the currently opaque hiring process to ensure the highest quality of education for our children moving forward.”

With the status quo in Chicago Public Schools, aspiring principals, already meeting rigorous standards to be licensed by the state, must go through a second eligibility determination process. If they pass this additional opaque vetting process, candidates interested in a particular school’s job posting submit their credentials to the entire Chicago Public School system, not the individual schools they are interested in, and are subsequently entered into a universal pool of qualified principal applicants. From there, when a Local School Councils posts a vacancy, CPS sorts and sends interested applicants to LSCs, who then decide on a candidate for the role and often include additional vetting at the school level. However, LSCs do not get to look over the entire candidate pool, and only have access to the group CPS advances, even if other candidates were also eligible. This has led to issues in many schools in the CPS system, including a principal being hired who did not know the language of instruction and unable to evaluate teachers in the language of instruction, when other potential candidates who may be fluent in the language yet not included in the hiring pool given to LSCs.

To address this oversight, this legislation increases transparency for applicants by making public the rubric and scoring threshold for passing each step in the process, allowing for due process when candidates do not advance to the next stage of evaluation, and would give Local School Councils access to the entire eligible pool of candidates. These protections give LSCs a much larger, more diverse pool of candidates to select from—some of whom may be more qualified to be leaders in schools than the narrower pool that CPS may have advanced. Further, it allows greater opportunity for equity by informing candidates of deficiencies and resources for improvement. Senator Pacione-Zayas is confident this change will make the hiring process work better for students, educators and aspiring principals in the CPS system.

“Principals are the primary driver of school achievement,” Pacione-Zayas said. “Students and faculty deserve leaders who are best matched for their school’s unique needs—and that can only be done of the hiring board can review all qualified candidates.”

House Bill 4933 passed unanimously out of the Senate Executive committee on November 30, 2022. It now goes to the Senate floor for further debate.