Legislative Topics: Minimum Wage Increase
Editor’s Note: This information is from a previous general assembly and is no longer relevant. However, we continue to provide the talking points and information for our member’s reference and a greater understanding of the political process and the minimum wage increase. Previous links to contact forms have been removed.
The 2017 legislative session is now in full swing. At this point, more than 2,200 Senate Bills and over 4,000 House Bills have been introduced. ICS staff has been reviewing these bills to address any concerns or impact on the chiropractic profession. Throughout the session, we often receive phone calls on various issues that are being debated in the Capitol. One of the issues about which we have received calls is the potential to increase the minimum wage. Therefore, we wanted to provide you with some information on the topic.
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Bills to increase the minimum wage have been introduced in the legislature several times over the past few years. This issue has become, and remains, a priority for many Democratic legislators. For this legislative session, the minimum wage increase conversations began when the “Grand Bargain” negotiations started in the Senate.
The Grand Bargain
In January, the Senate tried to pass a plan known as the “Grand Bargain,” which would end the budget impasse. The plan was designed to establish a balanced budget and address many of the reforms for which Governor Rauner has been advocating. The plan was negotiated solely between Senate President Cullerton and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno. The “Grand Bargain” received a lot of opposition from multiple parties regarding multiple issues.
One of the provisions that was initially in the “Grand Bargain” was increasing the minimum wage to $15/per hour. The provision created a high level of controversy and was eventually removed from the overall bargain. The “Grand Bargain” continues to be negotiated, which could mean the minimum wage provision could still arise in the Senate. However, the conversations in the Senate did not prevent House Democrats from introducing legislation to increase the minimum wage.
On March 27, Rep. Will Guizzardi (D-Chicago) introduced an amendment (HB 198 Floor Amendment #1) that would increase the minimum wage over time to $15/per hour for individuals who are over the age of 18.
The legislation would increase the minimum wage in the following manner:
Effective January 1. 2018: $9/per hour
Effective January 1, 2019: $10/per hour
Effective January 1, 2020: $11.25/per hour
Effective January 1, 2021: $13/per hour
Effective January 1, 2022: $15/per hour
The legislation would also create a credit against the withholding tax liability for employers with 50 or fewer employees, calculated based on the increase in minimum wage. As of the writing of this article, this legislation has been assigned to the House Labor Committee but has not been called for a vote.
Although this is not an official call to action, we know the minimum wage requirement is an important issue for many of you. If you wish to contact your legislator on this issue use the American Chiropractic Society’s Legislative Action Center to find your State Senator’s contact information. Enter your entire address in the “Find Your Elected Officials” field on the right and click Go (example). Your State Senator will be towards the bottom of the resulting page (example). Click on his or her picture to find the Springfield Office phone number.
If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact the ICS.
