SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 1 which will raise the minimum wage in Illinois to $15 per hour by the year 2025.

This is a list of responses from legislators, Gov. JB Pritzker, and other key Illinois officials about the passage.

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Statement from State Rep. Monica Bristow

State Rep. Monica Bristow, D-Alton, released the following statement after the Illinois House of Representatives voted on minimum wage legislation:

“We all want fair pay for working families. That’s been my focus throughout a career spent working to bring good-paying jobs back to the Metro East. This experience has shown me that building an economy that works for everyone requires us to look beyond just the minimum wage. We need to level the playing field for small and medium-sized employers in our community that already struggle to compete with large corporations and face steep competition from Missouri businesses. Too many fear a higher cost of doing business in Illinois will have the opposite effect. I’m going to continue to push for solutions that provide stability for employers, and help small businesses create more jobs and raise wages organically for everyone.”

Gov. Pritzker applauds House passage of $15 minimum wage

Following the House passage of SB 1 which raises the minimum wage to $15 an hour, Governor JB Pritzker released the following statement.

“Today is a resounding victory for the 1.4 million Illinoisans who will soon get a hard-earned and well-deserved raise,” said Gov. JB Pritzker. “After nearly a decade of delay, I applaud the House and Senate for passing a living wage with the fierce urgency this moment requires. Phasing in the minimum wage over the next six years will put $6,300 a year into the pockets of nearly a quarter of our state’s workforce and billions of dollars into local economies in every corner of our state. Whether you’re a home healthcare provider in McLeansboro or a janitor in Rockford, hardworking men and women across Illinois deserve a raise and will get one. After campaigning on a promise to put Springfield back on the side of working families, I will proudly sign this historic legislation in the days to come.”

Speaker Michael J. Madigan statement on minimum wage passage in House

House Speaker Michael J. Madigan released the following statement Thursday:

“Today we made history in Illinois by increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour for the hardest working people in our state. We heard from people across Illinois and took their message to heart.

“I’m proud we passed this critical legislation today to give our working families a long overdue raise. Supporting a higher wage means a host of benefits for our state, including better-paying jobs, increased consumer spending and a growing economy.

“I applaud Governor Pritzker for his leadership.

“As Illinois takes this historic step, we can be assured that we are improving the lives of workers in every corner of our state, providing them an opportunity to enhance their lives and better support their families.”

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State Treasurer Michael Frerichs statement on minimum wage passage

Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs today hailed lawmakers for passing legislation that would gradually increase the statewide minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025.

The Illinois House approved the measure today. The Senate approved it last week. It now goes to Gov. JB Pritzker, whose signature is expected.

“This is a great day for working families across our state. This is the first increase in the minimum wage in nearly 10 years. Larger paychecks will help lift working people out of poverty and lead to increased economic spending at our local businesses,” Frerichs said.

Frerichs also acknowledged concerns expressed by opponents, including some business owners. However, Frerichs said tax credits for small businesses and the schedule of multiple years before the rate is at $15 per hour should reduce those concerns.

The Illinois minimum wage has been $8.25 per hour since 2010. The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since 2009 and remains unchanged.

Davidsmeyer votes against legislation that he says will hurt families

C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville) voted “no” on Senate Bill 1 because the legislation was negotiated behind closed doors, will hurt small businesses and social service providers, increase labor costs by 82%, and raises costs for families.

“I am extremely disappointed that the majority party rushed through an admittedly flawed bill,” said Davidsmeyer. “They proved that their political timeline was more important to them than passing a bill that works.”

“House Democrats and the Governor’s office locked Republicans and small business owners out of negotiations. And by doing so; they added over $1 billion in new spending to the state’s budget.”

“As I thought about the impact of this bill and spoke on the House floor, I wanted to make sure to provide the full scope of this bill,” Davidsmeyer said. “I guarantee that senior citizens living on Social Security will not get an 82% increase.

“The cost of child care will go up. Nursing home care, medical care, and higher education costs will rise.”

“Grocery stores and pharmacies continue to close in our rural areas, creating food and pharmacy deserts. People shouldn’t have to drive 20 or 30 miles to get food and medication.”

“I am sure that those who have worked hard and worked their way up to $15/hour will not get an 82% increase, rather they will have been pulled down closer to the minimum wage.

“In Seattle, the actual effect - when they went from $11 to $13 per hour – increased the average minimum wage from $75 to $125 per month, but created an actual decrease of $900 to $1,500 each year.”

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