YWCA Metropolitan Chicago 2009 Legislative Agenda

Policy Goals:

Increase the Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

Pass the Healthy Workplace Act

Pass the Predatory Home Loan Act

 
Increase the Illinois EITC (SB1562 & HB2319) 

What the Policy Does:
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a special tax benefit for low- and moderate-income families that reduces their tax burden and supplements their wages. By putting more money into the pockets of working families, the EITC has successfully lifted millions of families above the poverty line. In Illinois, working families can benefit from both the federal EITC and the Illinois EITC. Last year, Illinois’ EITC provided nearly $66 million to more than 718,000 low-income, working families statewide.

The Issue:
Illinois’ EITC is the smallest in the nation, resulting in an average credit of just $90 per eligible family.

How it Empowers Women and Families:
The best chance for immediate economic stimulus, an improved IL EITC would ease the disproportionate share of taxes paid by low-income working mothers and families. Illinois’ maximum tax credit under this program could grow to $470, greatly increasing its value for struggling families.

Healthy Workplace Act (HB 3665)

What the Policy Does:
The Healthy Workplace Act allows employees to earn up to 7 paid sick days per year, accrued hourly for every 30 hours worked. It provides leave for an employee to address the worker’s own illness, the illness of an employee’s family member, or attend necessary medical appointments.

The Issue:
Almost half of all private sector workers in Illinois have no right to a single sick day, paid or otherwise. Without protection workers can be fired for missing work to care for their sick child, aging parent, or themselves.

How it Empowers Women and Families:
This modest benefit would most affect 3/4 of low-wage workers who do not currently receive paid sick days, 78% of working mothers who have school-age children, and the majority of workers whose paid sick days prevent them from caring for a family member, i.e., an ill spouse or aging parent with medical needs.

Predatory Home Loan Act (HB1478)

What the Policy Does:
Imposes regulations and caps to reduce the cost of using payday loans, prevents over-borrowing, and institutes a 'recovery period' to break the usurious cycle of debt by repeated payday loans.

The Issue:
The payday loan industry has evaded important consumer protection in the Payday Loan Reform Act (PLRA), creating loans with a significantly higher price tag than the loans regulated by the PLRA.

How it Empowers Women and Families:
This protection safeguards communities that are often targeted by predatory lenders, usually low-income and/or of color. Because of regulation, low-income working women and their families have a better chance of regaining economic stability, and thus providing for their basic needs during this economic crisis.

For more information:

Please contact Delia Coleman at 312.762.2742 or delia.coleman@ywcachicago.org.

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