The Illinois Senate has passed a bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Governor J. B. Pritzker applauded the passage. ‘’Today, the State Senate made it clear that working families in Illinois deserve a raise, and they’re going to get one,’’ said the governor.
‘’Today was a major victory for working families all across the State of Illinois, but our work is not done,’’ added Governor Pritzker. He then urged the House of Representatives to take up the measure and pass it.
State Senator Jason Barickman says the legislation was jammed through despite the need for further negotiations and regional protections. ‘’This isn’t about whether or not the minimum wage should be increased, it’s about how much, how fast, and what we can do to minimize the loss of jobs, especially downstate,’’ said Barickman. ‘’Unfortunately this legislation doesn’t really do much of anything on any of those fronts,’’ he added.