* AP…
The Illinois House has approved a proposal that would raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour over five years.
House lawmakers voted 61 to 53 Tuesday.
* But…
Lawmakers approved the bill with a 61-53 vote largely along party lines, but Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, filed a motion to keep it from moving to the Senate. Democratic Rep. Will Guzzardi said supporters were working to make sure the measure had enough support in the other chamber.
* SJ-R…
After the legislation passed, Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, put the bill on hold in the House. Guzzardi said the move was to ensure “all their ducks were in a row” before sending the bill to the Senate.
“It’s just some procedural work that we’re trying to do on our side to make sure everything is in order,” he said. “I’m still optimistic that we’re going to get this thing passed to the Senate and onto the governor by the end of the day tomorrow night.”
The Senate has passed several minimum wage bills in the past only to see them die in the House.
So, the bill’s passage took just about everyone by surprise yesterday, both in the House and in the Senate, which hadn’t yet met in caucus to talk about the bill. They even had to change the Senate’s chief sponsor yesterday to the person who normally handles this issue.
There’s a lot of suspicion and finger-pointing, with some senators believing that Speaker Madigan is playing his usual games with the issue and may not send it to the Senate until it’s too late, and some House members worried that the Senate can’t pass the bill. We’ll see.
* Meanwhile…
Rep. Scott Drury, a Highwood Democrat who has often split with Madigan, took the opportunity to bash the leaders of his party for failing to call the wage hike for a vote when they had veto-proof control of the General Assembly or when there was a Democratic governor. Drury suggested that the Democratic leaders had called it for a vote in order to put the Republican governor on the spot.
“I am truly, truly concerned that what is going on here is that Maria, that one of our colleagues spoke about, is being used as a pawn to embarrass our Republican governor,” Drury said, referring to a minimum wage worker whose struggles to make a living were pointed to by Democratic lawmakers during debate on the floor. “It’s all about the left embarrassing the right and the right embarrassing the left.”
Drury is right.
*** UPDATE 1 *** As of 4:42 this afternoon, the motion to reconsider has still not been removed.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The motion to reconsider has been withdrawn.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 10:25 am:
Well said Representative Drury. And I can’t believe that I am saying this, considering that he is my state representative thanks to gerrymandering.
- Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 10:28 am:
If we would just do the sensible thing and index the minimum wage to inflation the problem would be more or less solved. But then how could politicians survive with one less football?!
- Two O's in Goose - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 10:35 am:
Drury’s right except that the woman’s name is Gloria.
- Lance Mannion - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 10:35 am:
When you are advancing something you know is popular with some of your constituencies but will hurt business, small employers especially, and likely cause more harm than good … run the bill, make lots of noise and then go back to doing nothing. #GoodDemGoverning
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 10:39 am:
===hen you are advancing something you know is popular with some of your constituencies but will hurt business, small employers especially, and likely cause more harm than good … run the bill, make lots of noise and then go back to doing nothing. #GoodDemGoverning===
Hmm…
“When you are advancing something you know is popular with some of your constituencies but will hurt schools, municipalities especially, and likely cause more harm than good … run the Ads, make lots of noise and then go back to doing nothing. #GoodRauneritePoliticin’… ”
Better
- Texas Red - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 10:42 am:
It takes Drury, a Dem that went off the reservation to get the truth out !
- TopHatMonocle - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 10:44 am:
A new low for Rep. Drury? He literally dehumanized a person who’s advocating for a policy that will allow them to provide for their family. His colleagues see a human being who’s struggling, and he sees a pawn in a game. Pretty offensive in my opinion. And if he’s so embarrassed to vote for Dem policies, maybe he should just make it official and cross the aisle.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 10:45 am:
Lance,
Can you hook me up with some data on higher minimum wage hurting small business? Sure you pay your people more. But so do your competitors. And now the folks on the street have more to spend.
- HistProf - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 10:46 am:
Sorry. 10:45 was me.
- Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 10:46 am:
The fact that this bill treats huge corporations and mom and pop businesses as well as Chicago and Cairo and other small towns the same indicates this is not serious legislation, just another attempt to gin up class envy, appease liberal interest groups and not solve serious problems. Mission accomplished
- Real - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 10:56 am:
The house better send this bill to the Senate.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 10:58 am:
- Louis G. Atsaves -
Right or wrong, Drury is Rauner’s new Ken Dunkin.
Mr. Drury… Word of advice. While today, the hypocrisy of both sides allows the easy target, keep this in mind…
“Raunerites come as your friends, the people who confuse you all of your professional life, and they always seem to come at a time when you’re at your weakest and most in need of their help.”
If you think you’re gaining friendships, look to Ken Dunkin…
- Responsa - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 11:02 am:
Perfect by the book politics. They get the national headlines and then let it die because they know it’s bad for Illinois’ economy and bad for their re-election prospects.
- Odysseus - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 11:03 am:
While Drury is correct that doing the right thing when it was easy would have been great, it’s still the right thing to do.
- Lance Mannion - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 11:09 am:
O.W. — It’s okay to stay on the topic which was this bill, where the Dems are playing games. As Drury said, for 12 years the Dems had sole control of Springfield & didn’t really lift a finger on min wage. Now that they have pushed it through both Chambers … this? Yeah, it’s Rauner’s fault. Lol.
Anonymous– Raising min wage beyond inflation and in this instance by over 80% will cause a significant loss in jobs, particularly, teenage employment and jobs that can be easily automated, and will cause an increase in expense of goods and services to pay for the big min wage increase.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 11:12 am:
Um, no… - Lance Mannion -
No, I’m waiting for you to call out the hypocrisy of Rauner that, since you emerged, you have to done.
I know calling it both ways is a concept that may confuse you, I dunno.
Keep up with what’s going on or just admit your willful ignorance or blissful unaware-ness.
Capiche?
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 11:12 am:
Hey DEMS I’m a union front ranker. I’m the tip of your spear.
I’m the one who shows up every time to
Canvas door to door
I’m the one who mans the phone bank
I’m the one who gets others out there with me.
I don’t speak for Labor or any Local
I’m speaking for myself as your front ranker
You brick this and we’re going to have the ” Quinn fever” all over again.
I never got Quinn fever. I fell in line and pushed in the Othismos
But 2/5 hoplitai didn’t take the field.
I am passing it up the chain of command that a lot of purple will not take the field.
I need every shield I can get.
Maybe they don’t need purple people
Maybe the loss of PLA’s in MO has gotten the trades on board
Again I’m front rank, a promachos.
I just now that in the past I counted on
purple always showing up.
Don’t brick it.
- Arock - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 11:13 am:
More political shenanigans by the Democrats. As was stated they could have taken care of the minimum wage issue and many others such as the progressive tax when they had complete power. It is all election posturing.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 11:15 am:
===More political shenanigans by the Democrats===
Hmm.
What do you call the two rounds of robocalls and the popup ads?
- Arock -, calling out partisanship only works when you call it both ways.
- Texas Red - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 11:24 am:
HB
“Hey DEMS I’m a union front ranker. I’m the tip of your spear”
You are also being mollycoddled by the Dems at the expense of all compromise.
- Robert the 1st - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 11:28 am:
This post is about Democrats playing embarrassingly predictable politics. Yelling at posters for somehow not blaming Republicans is beyond bizarre.
- Evanstonian - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 11:37 am:
Madigan’s lack of desire to pass this when it could have, you know, passed is the perfect example of why Rauner won in 2014.
- Nick O'Time - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 11:38 am:
== Sure you pay your people more. But so do your competitors. And now the folks on the street have more to spend. ==
History Prof - not exactly.
I was employed at one of the soon to be former Illinois regional universities when Blagoevich and the Dems enacted a minimum wage increase of about 20% - from roughly $5.15 to $6 and change.
The university’s administration responded by reducing the number of hours available for student workers by 20%.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 11:51 am:
Bite me TR
You speak of compromise
Replublicans don’t want compromise
They want total capitulation.
How many times has it been said Rauner
Can’t take a win
Only the election will possibly end this war
Thus I was talking to DEMS not you
I was talking to those who take the field.
Not you, a Pais
- Arock - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 11:51 am:
OW, I have attacked both sides of the aisle as being the problem in the past, my statement stands they are only using the minimum wage issue for election fodder as they had more than enough chances in the past decade to fix this issue and others that are supposedly dear to their hearts. With the exception of a few Republican Governors the State has been mostly controlled by the Democrats the last few decades so they deserve the brunt of the criticism for the mess they had the most control over.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 11:56 am:
- Arock -
“Both sides” is a cop-out, but already know that.
If you’d like to point out specifically where you take Rauner task for the same theatrics, I won’t mind.
Your partisan points, have at it…
===With the exception of a few Republican Governors the State has been mostly controlled by the Democrats the last few decades so they deserve the brunt of the criticism for the mess they had the most control over===
LOL!
Speaker Daniels, President Phillip, in 1994 all constitutionals and both chambers were Republican-Controlled.
Again… Willfully ignorant, or blissfully unaware?
“No, I’ll let you choose which one”… lol
- Deft Wing - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 12:01 pm:
Of course, OW is right. It’s Rauner’s fault that Dems couldn’t get the minimum wage increase legislation passed during the Blago & Quinn eras, despite vast Dem majorities in both chambers! Duh. So too now, Rauner’s put that brick on the bill through deft maneuvers unseen in IL via mind-control of Jay Hoffman. Duh, it’s all Rauner’s fault.
Or, Drury is absolutely right.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 12:14 pm:
HistProf—If your theory is correct, why limit minimum wage to $15? If it was $25-$30/hour, wouldn’t that be better for everyone?
Interesting that you are a History Prof and not an Econ or Finance Prof.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 12:28 pm:
If we want academic input how about from Yale Econ profs.
Minimum wage and retail price pass-through
By Ganapati and Weaver
Excellent study
Upshot raising minimum wage doesn’t effect prices.
- MacombMike - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 12:29 pm:
>>Speaker Daniels, President Phillip, in 1994 all constitutionals and both chambers were Republican-Controlled.
For how long?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 12:38 pm:
- MacombMike -
The Google is your friend.
Daniels held control for one session, while Pate held the Senate a decade. From January 1995 thru January 1999, the GOP held all the constitutional offices.
Then George Ryan…
then Jim Ryan - Rod Blagojevich, Quinn… Rauner.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 12:45 pm:
===It’s Rauner’s fault that Dems couldn’t get the minimum wage increase legislation passed during the Blago & Quinn eras, despite vast Dem majorities in both chambers===
Where did I say that? Ranting and raving without facts to your argument isn’t making an argument. Putting me in your argument isn’t making an argument either.
===So too now, Rauner’s put that brick on the bill through deft maneuvers unseen in IL via mind-control of Jay Hoffman. Duh, it’s all Rauner’s fault.===
Rauner’s hypocrisy, along with your own seems to be the robocalls for unhelpful things to a budget…
… or if you’re on a computer and popup ads interrupt your work for Rauner’s political hypocrisy to a budget.
I dunno, - Deft Wing -.
Making it about nothing I said kinda shows your own lacking in self awareness to hypocrisy(?)
- Anonymous - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 12:57 pm:
I’ll read that report Honeybear. Does it say anything about an impact on workers hired, workers fired, hours worked per week, etc.?
Do they suggest paying people $15, $20, $25 per hour if there is no impact on prices?
- cdog - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 1:07 pm:
Folks really don’t realize what a $32,000 per year dishwasher in downstate IL will do to a family business.
If an increase in avg worker wages is what the goal is, legislate a cap on ratio between executive compensation to avg worker pay.
If company XYZ was told the days of 200:1 are over,and if historical norms like 30:1 were legislated by Progressive Illinois politicians, the might get closer to accomplishing their goals.
Leave the little fish, small businesses, out of your crazy and dangerous nets.
- Last Bull Moose - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 1:08 pm:
This is tiresome. It is about embarrassing not governing. I put the $15 minimum wage in the same category as the property tax freeze, sounds good and does considerable harm.
The more expensive labor is, the more likely that the process will be automated. If you want to speed automation, pass the $15 minimum wage
- Colby jack - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 1:24 pm:
## Upshot raising minimum wage doesn’t effect prices.##
Malarkey.
Labor is the highest cost in nearly every organization, public or private, and has a direct impact on margins. If competition won’t allow a business to raise prices due to higher labor costs, then guess what, workers get shown the door.
- blue dog dem - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 1:25 pm:
Kinda reminds me why Dems never ran with a progressive income tax when they had a chance. They no more care about the working poor and middle classes than.
A. Man on the moon
B. rauner
C. Repubs
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 1:29 pm:
Cdog a worker to CEO ratio or cap is a red herring and you know it.
Honestly, I’m all about mainstreet instead of Wall Street. I think small business should almost have no taxes. Maybe a few fees here or there.
Mid and large corporations should be taxed and loopholes eliniminated. Large corporations are assessed but rarely actually pay anything in
I think this might help small business afford 15
Look up “velocity of money”
The low wage worker plows every cent back into the local economy.
Income inequality is what we must all fight together.
In the 70’s a high school educated logger made the equivalent in today’s dollars of 78,000.
- Robert the 1st - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 1:34 pm:
A high school educated truck driver can still make $78k.
- Texas Red - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 1:38 pm:
Income inequality is an invented term by the left. The flip side of income inequality is the idea that in a free market economy based in a republic from of govt, there will be winners and losers. If someone feels like they don’t have enough money I would suggest you work harder than the next guy/gal, find a mentor, move to find better opportunities, better your skills via educational opportunities, but please don’t make the rest of us overpay for low skilled labor in the name of an invented idea !!
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 1:44 pm:
Sorry Dante, ad hominem is not going to work. Try citing sources and concepts as I have done to debate the topic.
It’s what you choose to support
Corporate needs
Or
Human needs.
I choose people
First
Last
Always
(Tips hat to OW)
- cdog - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 1:50 pm:
I honestly do not think this is a red herring, and my thoughts are my own.
There is no tax loophole to be closed for a mom/pop s-corp.
It’s a “category mistake” to think otherwise. That is the true fallacy here.
Truth is, bi-weekly taxes drops would be higher. (employer portion of fed 941s)
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 1:52 pm:
BDD- remember why the DEMS got spooked about a progressive income tax?
The ginned up analysis put out by IDOR
We talked about it on Capfax
The DEMS rightly understood that Rauner would clobber them for voting for it.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 1:54 pm:
BDD so Rauner cares more? Republicans care more?
Really?
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 1:56 pm:
TR- go to the DCEO website and look at the EDGE agreements
Free market?
God you made me belly laugh
You’re a cute Pais, I’ll give you that.
Now run along
- City Zen - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 2:03 pm:
Has anyone in the “Fight for 15″ outfit determined how a $15 minimum wage will impact school district budgets who currently pay their teaching assistants and custodians $15-20/hr? Or would that cause their bubble to burst?
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 2:08 pm:
Zen city- I’m sure TA’s and Custodians would still make 15-20.
Come on
Be for working folks instead or corporate profits
Go ahead look up velocity of money
Or would it burst your bubble
- blue dog dem - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 2:23 pm:
Honey. I say no one really cares. Except when campaigning. Took me about 50 years to figure out that and noonee cares about unions either. Just a few diehards left, and as I have repeatedly said that even those don’t care if it effects their pocketbook.
Me. I am for raising minimum wage. Not for the same reason as others. I see starting jobs as a great educational tool for the young. You have to learn to work. Some are advantaged because they have parents that bust their butt. Kids see this, and learn. Other kids aren’t so fortunate, so we need them to be able to support transportation costs. $8.50/hrx20hrs/wk doesn’t pan out, so I see some youth throw up their hands, and don’t try. Weird thought process, I know.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 2:29 pm:
Colby Jack
So you’re calling a Yale study malarkey?
You republican armchair economists are more deluded than I thought
Go ahead and read the study
It might have some “killer graphics” like Trump likes.
I find your lack of self differentiation disturbing
- cdog - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 2:46 pm:
HB
The Yale study only controlled for retail cost pass through. Again, a category mistake. Retail pass through is not a relevant measurement for most Illinois small businesses.
Try this study from Harvard. It shows that more Bay area restaurants close for every dollar increase in minimum wage.
https://papers.ssrn.com
People that find themselves making minimum wage, after several years in the workforce, most likley have other issues. That too, is a worthy discussion.
- Responsa - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 2:48 pm:
Individuals who feel the need to dominate a conversation often come across as thinking they are the smartest person in the room. My parents taught us to notice and to be wary of people like this because they are in fact usually not the smartest people in the room.
- Colby jack - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 2:56 pm:
Simple addition and subtraction HB.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 3:18 pm:
BDD- well I have to admit that’s a pretty varifiable argument. It seems like neither party cares. That being said I think it’s also totally verifiable that DEM non care beats the crap out of GOP non care which takes away any kind of support the poor, elderly and disabled have.
- City Zen - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 3:27 pm:
Honeybear - If I’m a college-student/grad TA currently making $19/hr, and you double the McDonald’s employee/high-school-kid’s rate to $15/hr, wouldn’t my services warrant a higher price?
- Anonymous - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 3:36 pm:
HB has a tendency to be very selective with what she posts. She apparently doesn’t want to answer about a rise in minimum wage impacting people hired, hours worked, people let go, etc.
If a company has 15 workers get a $5/hour increase and they work 40 hours each that equals:
$3000 additional wages a week plus fed taxes of roughly $230 so 3230 times 52 weeks = nearly $168,000 in expense in one year.
Do you think that is an impact on a small business?
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 3:37 pm:
That’s funny cdog I almost did what you did. You’ve got to give me the title of the study. This just sent me to the website.
Did you read the study or did you just read the abstract? It special states that the effected industries are restaurants and fast food. I get that it will hit those hard.
But I feel the overall positive effect on the local economy way outweighs the loss of jobs in a single sector. You armchair Republicans didn’t bat an eye at the thousands of private social service jobs lost to this impasse.
On another note, I heard an NPR segment about the Harvard report. I get it. Nobody likes job loss. But short of UBI we’ve got to do something about raising wages for those at the bottom of our economic ladder.
It’s those folks that I serve every day. They can’t make it on minimum wage. They then have to work multiple jobs to make it. This them has social consequences with child behavior.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 3:38 pm:
No Colby Jack.
There is nothing simple about this problem
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 3:53 pm:
Zen City, as almost 40 years of stagnant wages have shown, no
Companies don’t raise wages
If you don’t like it apply somewhere else
Man you guys must all be quite privileged to not understand what working folk at the bottom deal with.
Anonymous- pick a name- I didn’t answer you because I don’t have the time nor the inclination to spar with you.
Sorry not worth it
- City Zen - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 4:10 pm:
HB - You lost me on the application process. So you believe my working family school district and the wages it currently pays its teaching assistants and custodians will not be impacted by a minimum wage hike? So instead of making $11/hr more per hour, they’ll be content to just make $4/hr more.
That’s all I’m asking. I’m ambivalent on the min wage hike as I can alter my purchasing power accordingly and choose to consume less. I cannot do that with property taxes, hence my concern downstream.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 4:35 pm:
- Honeybear -
The - @MisterJayEm - Rule on ” - Anonymous - ” is still the pretty doggone good rule.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 4:38 pm:
TR- read Pickety and get back to me on income inequality.
- cdog - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 4:46 pm:
If someone is making minimum wage after several years in the job market, the problem might be with them, not the market.
Life is about making choices, and living with your choices. Every day, you are at the end of the decisions you’ve made.
I had a conversation with a gentleman from western Africa a few weeks ago. He was amazed with the lack of hustle and drive on the part of some Americans.
Entitlement and victimhood are dangerous vices.
- Texas Red - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 4:53 pm:
HB - First get the spelling correct it is PIKETTY, then google “Piketty debunked”, or better yet head to your nearest library and search for professional/scholarly article on the subject.
- Robert the 1st - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 5:57 pm:
I seem to remember a time when we could all agree on basic economics. The Democrats would concede “yes, this may slow economic growth but it’s worth it for the humanity involved.” Now we have Paul Krugman and Thomas Piketty coming up with economic theory based on politics and despite it making zero sense, people eat it up.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 8:29 pm:
I hope the Senate votes on this bill tonight and puts it on Rauner’s desk. He more than tripled his income in 2015. Let’s see him veto it.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 9:53 pm:
Robert, I believe that Krugman and Piketty are bone fide economists. They are refuting the Chicago/Austrian schools of economic thought. It’s called progress. Thank God we are moving past free market economics. Neoliberalism has been a disaster.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 9:57 pm:
Anything can be debunked by quack science. Peer review lends credence. But hey, you don’t believe in peer review or scientific method anyway. You’ve probably never read it for yourself. Go ahead mouth breather. Keep you doubt alive.
I am sorry about Piketty. I was on my phone. As you’ve noticed I have a lot of mistakes. Sorry, I’m not a credit to my Northwestern education.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 9:58 pm:
Of course, I make more mistakes. Oh well.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 9:59 pm:
Par for the course OW, I’m not sure what you mean about anonymous rule.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 10:07 pm:
- Honeybear -
I just was thinking aloud, as I see, today, so many ” - Anonymous - “, and so many counter to each other… just thinking aloud is all.
- Robert the 1st - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 10:07 pm:
=It’s called progress. Thank God we are moving past free market economics.=
These are not new ideas. They’ve been tried many times.
- cdog - Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 11:08 pm:
In Venezuela, most recently.
- Honeybear - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 9:30 am:
Dude by refusing to sign anything until he gets his “reforms” which will destroy his political opposition,
RAUNER ALONE!
Is moving us towards Venezuela.
Madigan did get a budget done every year till
RAUNER
RAUNER FAILED
RAUNER LIED
RAUNER DESTROYS