SPRINGFIELD — Assistant Majority Leader Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) released the following statement today as thousands continue to protest Puerto Rico’s governor after leaked text messages uncovered crude, sexist and homophobic remarks made by him and others:

“I’m truly disappointed in the disparaging remarks made by Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello and his allies towards females, members of the LGBTQ community and our beloved island, among other things.

“Let’s be clear, sexist and homophobic slurs don’t have a place in our public discourse and only belittle the positions we’re elected to serve. Our Puerto Rican brothers and sisters are angry, disappointed and feel disrespected by their government, and these feelings shouldn’t be ignored.

“Puerto Rico has had many challenges in the past few years, and this situation greatly distracts from the social and economic problems that are facing the island today. I am asking Governor Rossello to put the well-being of Puerto Rico first and consider what is best to restore the joy, optimism and love our people are known for. Governor Rossello, listen to your people and do the right thing.”

SPRINGFIELD — Assistant Majority Leader Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) released the following statement today after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that there cannot be a citizenship question on the 2020 Census:

“I am glad the Supreme Court acted in the best interest of all Americans by ruling against the Trump administration’s citizenship question. The proposed question was intended to frighten immigrants and discourage them from participating in the census, when full participation is vital to ensuring states get adequate representation in Congress and federal funding. The census is intended to be a full count of everyone residing in the United States, not a tool that the current president can use to further intimidate and terrorize immigrants.”

SPRINGFIELD — Assistant Majority Leader Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) announced that she has been appointed to the bipartisan, bicameral Census Advisory Panel, which will work to reach people in hard-to-count areas during the 2020 Census.

The panel was created as part of an executive order signed by Gov. JB Pritzker today to ensure a full census count in 2020. The order also establishes a Census Office within the Department of Human Services that will administer grants and conduct outreach and education about the census.

“I am thankful that the governor is taking the upcoming census so seriously and working to make sure that every resident in Illinois is counted,” Martinez said. “The consequences of an undercount would affect everyone in our state, so it is important that everyone be able to participate.”

The census is used to determine representation in Congress and federal funding, so Illinois could potentially lose up to two congressional seats and billions in federal dollars if there is an undercount in 2020.

The 2020 Census officially begins on April 1, 2020.

SPRINGFIELD — Assistant Majority Leader Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) issued the following statement today after voting for a balanced budget that keeps Illinois on the path to stability:

“This budget continues the progress we have made since the disastrous budget crisis, but it does much more than that.

“It honors our commitments to those receiving pensions. It invests in our future by exceeding the minimum requirement for education funding and increasing funding for higher education and grants to help young people attend college. It restores much-needed funding to human service programs like domestic violence shelters and immigrant and refugee services, particularly important during a time of great fear for immigrants.

“This budget sends a clear message to the people of our state that we are working toward a brighter future for Illinois.”