SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Sam Yingling, D-Grayslake, voted to increase the minimum wage to expand the middle class while offering tax credits to small businesses to help offset the costs of the increase.
“The hardworking people of Illinois deserve a raise,” said Yingling. “The cost of living has been growing faster than inflation, and Illinois families can’t keep up. By giving the hardworking people of Illinois a raise, they will reinvest their money in the local economy, creating more economic growth and more jobs. This bill will also reduce the impact this increase will have on local businesses.”
Yingling voted for Senate Bill 1, which implements an incremental rise of Illinois’ minimum wage from $8.25 per hour to $15 per hour by 2025. A study by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute estimates a $15 minimum wage would spur an additional $19 billion in much needed economic growth. Yingling knows that, for Illinois to be a competitive state, workers need to have incentives to stay in Illinois, and increasing the minimum wage will encourage middle-class families to stay and move to the state.
“Illinois has an opportunity to attract workers and businesses from across the Midwest,” said Yingling. “Unlike our neighboring states that are passing laws that cut wages of middle-class families and outsource jobs to foreign companies, Illinois is committed to investing in our workers and our small business owners.”
