My home state of Illinois is considering another increase of the minimum wage, and the bill's name is IL SB1565. The current minimum wage in the state is $8.25/hour, and a proposal will make it increase $.50, or 50 cents, to $8.75/hour, and eventually to $10.00+/hour.
As usual on issues like these, "pro-business" Conservatives love to pull this cop-out: "It's going to hurt my bottom line."
BND.com:
MARYVILLE -- Summertime is already in full swing at Bobby Kozyak's frozen custard stand, but a looming proposal to raise minimum wages could melt into his bottom line.His Bobby's Frozen Custard opened for the season last week in Maryville, where about 35 of his seasonal employees earn minimum wages.
Senate Bill 1565 proposes raising the the state's hourly minimum wage from $8.25 an hour to to $8.75 an hour and would go into effect immediately.
Kozyak said this will mean that his and other businesses would have to pass on this added cost on to customers at a time when the state's economy is already shaky.
"Naturally, it would affect my business," Kozyak said. "I hire so many young adults, and for a lot of them, it is their first job."
"With so many families facing ominous conditions as a result of the national economic recession, there couldn't be a more appropriate time for this increase to go into effect," Martinez said in a released statement. "People in Illinois, both minimum wage earners and others, have shown overwhelming support for increasing the minimum wage. I look forward to working with all interested parties to move this legislation forward and make an increase to minimum wage a reality for our hard-working families."
Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and Executive Director Doug Whitley said another minimum wage rate increase would be terrible for Illinois employers. He questions lawmakers' logic in pursing another rate increase at this point.