| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: | MEDIA CONTACT: |
| 10/31/25 | Edder Díaz Martínez, Communications Director 602-832-6039 [email protected] |
SPRINGFIELD, IL –– GreenLatinos Illinois applauds the Illinois General Assembly for passing two transformative pieces of legislation this week: the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) Act and the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act (SB25). These laws represent significant strides in climate action, economic opportunity, and equitable access to clean energy and public transportation, benefiting Latino/a/e, frontline, and low-income communities across Illinois.
The CRGA Act brings critical relief to families struggling with high utility bills while also expanding access to rebates for home weatherization and energy-efficient appliances, and significantly increasing support for low-income energy efficiency programs. The law also strengthens transmission infrastructure, reduces bottlenecks in grid development, and maximizes the delivery of clean energy across the state.
Amid threats of a fiscal cliff and potential 40% service cuts, the NITA Act not only preserves our transit system but transforms it by better integrating service across CTA, Metra, and Pace, establishing a unified fare system, and ensuring affordability through discounted passes for low-income riders. The law also enhances safety through a new Transit Ambassador program and promotes cleaner air by reducing vehicle emissions.
As a member of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, GreenLatinos is proud to have served as an advisor to the Power Sector Negotiating Team and worked alongside coalition partners to co-host town halls, organize in-district meetings, and participate in regular working group and grassroots calls to ensure that the voices of communities most impacted by energy and transit inequities helped shape these policies.
Following the close of the Illinois General Assembly’s 2025 Veto Session, Illinois State Program Director, Lucy Contreras, releases the following statement:
“Latino families have long faced the burden of high energy costs, air pollution, and underfunded transit systems. The Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act takes meaningful steps to lower energy costs and expand clean energy opportunities, while the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act preserves and improves the public transit system that is a lifeline for so many in our communities. Together, these laws deliver cleaner air, affordable energy, and reliable transit for the families who need them most.”
In the future, GreenLatinos Illinois looks forward to continue collaborating with Illinois lawmakers and directly impacted community members to ensure their voices are amplified and uplifted during future legislative sessions. We recognize that those closest to the problem are often closest to the solution, so including these voices is necessary not only to drive a green economy but also to improve air quality for our comunidades.” - Lucy Contreras, Illinois State Program Director.
###
About GreenLatinos
GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) is an active comunidad of Latino/a/e leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
