* Democratic Party of Illinois e-mail blast to party members…
Illinois is on the verge of making history by supporting hard-working people and their families with an increased minimum wage of $15 an hour.
Governor Pritzker is determined to pass this critical legislation by the end of the month. It’s an aggressive but achievable goal with your help. Please reach out to your legislators and ask them to support SB1, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford and State Representative Will Guzzardi.
I know you agree that Illinoisans deserve a raise. Supporting higher wages means building a stronger Illinois with better-paying jobs, increased consumer spending and a growing economy.
Consider these facts from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute*:
* Studies find that minimum wage hikes boost worker earnings while having little to no negative impact on employment. In addition, there is evidence that worker turnover falls following a minimum wage hike, reducing employer costs.
* A $15 minimum wage could mean a $6,000 raise for more than 1.4 million Illinois workers, lifting more than 200,000 workers out of poverty and generating $380 million annually in state income and sales taxes.
* A $15 minimum wage would have the largest impacts on communities outside of the Chicago area. While a $15 minimum wage would boost earnings by about $5,000 for directly affected workers in the Chicago area, it would raise annual incomes for low-wage workers by more than $8,000 in the Springfield area, more than $7,000 in the Rockford area, and more than $6,000 in the St. Louis area.
Despite strong support across all regions of the state, Illinois has not increased the minimum wage since July 2010. Now is the time to stand up for working men and women in Illinois.
Join the effort to increase the minimum wage at Raise the Wage. Together we can fight for Illinois families and build a stronger future for Illinois.
With kindest personal regards, I remain
Sincerely yours,
Michael J. Madigan
Chairman
The “Raise the Wage” link takes you to DPI’s website.
* This pitch is pretty rich in irony for more than one reason. Tribune editorial…
Mind you, Democrats could have passed and gotten signed into law a statewide minimum wage hike years ago. It has been stuck at $8.25 since 2010. Former Gov. Pat Quinn, with a Democrat-led legislature from 2009 to 2014, begged lawmakers to send him a bill.
The Senate tried to send him a minimum wage hike, but Speaker Madigan wouldn’t forward anything to the governor’s desk.
* Also, Madigan said this earlier in the week…
“This is a governor’s initiative. This is a request by the governor. It’s Gov. Pritzker that wants to raise the minimum wage.”
- NeverPoliticallyCorrect - Friday, Feb 8, 19 @ 3:41 pm:
Well, if it does kill some jobs maybe it won’t natter because the out-migration will reduce the number of people looking for work. As others have said, succeed or fail it’s all on the Dems now in Illinois. Let’s see how this little experiment in one party rule works.
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 8, 19 @ 3:45 pm:
Given Madigan’s track record on the minimum wage, who’s the Big Dog in Springfield now?
- Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 8, 19 @ 3:46 pm:
===who’s the Big Dog in Springfield now? ===
Same with weed. MJM was no fan of legalization until it was pretty certain JB was going to win.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Feb 8, 19 @ 3:48 pm:
===A $15 minimum wage could mean a $6,000 raise for more than 1.4 million Illinois workers, lifting more than 200,000 workers out of poverty and generating $380 million annually in state income and sales taxes.===
NPC, if all those who benefit from this take your advice, I have a feeling the Democrats will be just fine.
$6,000 raises? Thanks Illinois Democrats.
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Friday, Feb 8, 19 @ 3:51 pm:
==who’s the Big Dog in Springfield now?==
Kind of kills the whole “Pritzker will be totally controlled by Speaker Madigan” narrative, doesn’t it?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 8, 19 @ 3:51 pm:
It’s like Pritzker is putting 60 on the steps (figuratively) and making the Speaker take notice.
Funny how that all works, leverage and such, when it’s not an artificial thought.
- Birdseed - Friday, Feb 8, 19 @ 3:56 pm:
MJM must be scared of the newly bought Pritzkerites.
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 8, 19 @ 3:59 pm:
–Kind of kills the whole “Pritzker will be totally controlled by Speaker Madigan” narrative, doesn’t it?–
The whole “Madigan has run the state out of the speaker’s office for decades” narrative was absurd on its face, even on a Schoolhouse Rock level.
You don’t get to sign $63B MCO contracts in the speaker’s office.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 8, 19 @ 3:59 pm:
===…must be scared of the newly bought Pritzkerites.===
Huh?
The Dems are for this as a party, it’s MJM who has been cautious.
The Raunerites and Rauner were swimming against current
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Friday, Feb 8, 19 @ 4:08 pm:
I can’t wait to get a MoveOn.org email from Speaker Madigan.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Feb 8, 19 @ 4:12 pm:
Gazillionaires get budget-busting and extreme income disparity raising massive tax cuts and many anti-minimum wage increase people say nothing or cheer. Propose giving a raise to minimum wage workers who hadn’t had one in nine years and to these people, the world is ending.
- Downstate - Friday, Feb 8, 19 @ 4:12 pm:
—Funny you mention East St. Louis. East St. Louis has a lower minimum wage——
You have to add in the cost of work comp. on top of the minimum wage numbers. I can assure you that large firms will pass over Illinois for MO and IND because of the work comp issue. The increase of minimum wage will only intensify the brightness of Illinois’ scarlet letter.
- Demoralized - Friday, Feb 8, 19 @ 4:17 pm:
==I can assure you that large firms will pass over Illinois for MO and IND ==
It’s not like there was a post on CF today about a large firm doing exactly the opposite.
So I don’t hold much stock in your “assurances.”
- Anonymous - Friday, Feb 8, 19 @ 4:22 pm:
It’s so weird to see the Governor and both branches of the legislature working together. This is Illinois, correct?
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 8, 19 @ 4:22 pm:
–I can assure you that large firms will pass over Illinois for MO and IND because of the work comp issue–
Like Ford?
- Big Jer - Friday, Feb 8, 19 @ 4:41 pm:
===MJM was no fan of legalization until it was pretty certain JB was going to win.===
As wordslinger and Lester have mentioned about being the “Big Dog in Springfield now” it is interesting how quickly it seemed to change (at least on the surface).
Others here have way more experience with Illinois politics than I do but I do not remember Madigan acquiescing to ANYBODY…. ever. But we are in the “honeymoon” period so lets see if JB continues to be the Big Dog in the long term.