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Illinois Legislative

Latino Caucus
January 28, 2015
Iris Y. Martinez
State Senator
Caucus Co-Chair
Cynthia Soto
State Representative
Caucus Co-Chair
Elizabeth Hernandez
State Representative
Caucus Vice-Chair
Silvana Tabares
State Representative
Caucus Secretary
William Delgado
State Senator
Antonio Muoz
State Senator
Martin Sandoval
State Senator
Edward J. Acevedo
State Representative
Jaime M. Andrade
State Representative
Luis Arroyo
State Representative
Daniel Burke
State Representative
John Cabello
State Representative
Linda Chapa LaVia
State Representative
Fred Crespo
State Representative
Will Guzzardi
State Representative

The Honorable Bruce Rauner


Governor
James R. Thompson Center
100 W. Randolph, 16-100
Chicago, IL 60601
Dear Governor Rauner,
As the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus, we are committed to be a strong voice for the
Latino community and to promote opportunities for advancement for Latinos across the
state. One of the top priorities since our inception has been to increase Latino
representation in the States workforce. We are deeply concerned with the lack of Latino
appointments to top decision making positions in your team and the disproportionate
reduction of Latinos in high level administrative positions throughout the agencies.
While we recognize that it is early in your administration, with less than three weeks in
office, we are also aware that your transition planning started many weeks ago. During
these past three weeks, you have quickly assembled an impressive administrative team and
appointed most key agency directors. To date, you have named over 60 individuals to form
part of your team, to advice you on important policy and budget decisions and steer state
government in a new direction. However, we are gravely concerned that only two Latinos
have been selected to be part of your top level administration and cabinet. Latinos are a
significant proportion of the states population (16%) and should be represented in a fair
and inclusive manner in top level discussions, especially as you embark in the
transformation of government in this tough fiscal environment.
We are also monitoring the impact of terminations of the Latino workforce, particularly
high level positions. There are only 2,444 Latinos, or 5.5%, out of a total coded agency
workforce of 44,279. In the key Senior Public Service Administrator (SPSA) and Public
Service Administrator (PSA) titles, Latinos represent only 228 employees. We estimate that
at least 21 Latinos in management positions have been terminated. Losing Latinos in these
positions, in conjunction with the slow appointment of Latinos to administrative posts in
your top team, will create a significant void of Latino leadership across state government.
Moreover, we are conscious that looming budget cuts will disproportionately impact
Latinos in the general workforce given the last hired, first fired rule. These losses will
negatively and significantly impact the states ability to provide much needed services to
our communities. We have worked intensively with prior administrations, held state agency
hearings, and advocated forcefully for inclusion of Latinos. The Caucus has accomplished
some inroads, but the recent trend regarding Latino employment threatens this progress

and our community has much to lose. Compared to the previous administration, the current status of Latinos in
the Rauner administration is as follows:
Quinn Administration
Governors Office
4
State Agency Directors
4
(DOC, ISP, IDFPR, VA)
Latino High Level Staff
228
(SPSAs and PSAs)
Latinos in Boards and Commissions
Education:
ISBE, Chair
P-20 Council, Chair
EFAB, Chair
ICCB, 1 member, 1 nominee

Rauner Administration
Governors Office
1
State Agency Directors
1
(DOL)
Latino High Level Staff
207
(SPSAs and PSAs)
Latinos in Boards and Commissions
Education:
ICCB, 1 member

(-21)

The loss of Latinos in leadership positions at Boards and Commissions focused on education is of particular concern
given that education is a top priority issue for Latinos across the state. It is alarming to us, as a Caucus and as a
community, to have lost so many important and influential Latino voices in statewide education policy and resource
allocation boards. We are committed to working with you to ensure there is significant Latino leadership in these
important statewide decision making tables and across key Boards and Commissions.
We applaud your recent executive order requiring state contractors to report the number of minorities and
veterans participating in training opportunities. As you well stated we need to ensure jobs and business
opportunities are open to everyone, but especially those who serve our country or are underrepresented in the
economy..I will be a governor who champions our veterans and historically-disadvantaged communities.
However, recent actions by your administration seem to be moving in the opposite direction from this executive
order. We urge you to lead by example by ensuring that Latinos can participate fully in the employment and
management opportunities in your administration.
There is much at stake for the Latino community and for the state as a whole. The Caucus is anxious to meet with
you and discuss ways that we can work together to improve Latino representation in the states workforce,
especially in decision making positions. We propose to move forward with quarterly monitoring of Latino
employment, along with other key state indicators such as boards and commissions, grants, contracts, capital
development, etc.
We are looking forward to meeting with you this week to discuss these urgent matters.
Sincerely,

____________________________________
Senator Iris Y. Martinez, Co-Chair
Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus
Cc: Latino Caucus Members

__________________________________________
Representative Cynthia Soto, Co-Chair
Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus

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