(This story appeared in Reboot Illinois – rebootillinois.com — and was written by Matt Dietrich.)
When the story of the 2014 election is written, Dec. 18, 2013, should be marked as an important date on the timeline.
That’s the day that Gov. Pat Quinn threw out the first big challenge to differentiate himself from the four Republicans who want to unseat him on Nov. 4, 2014.
In an appearance at St. Pius V Church in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, Quinn renewed his pledge to raise the state’s minimum wage from the current $8.25 an hour, which is the fourth highest in the nation and the highest among Illinois’ neighbors, to $10.
“No one should work 40 hours a week and live in poverty,” Quinn said. “This holiday season, it’s important to remember the hundreds of thousands of people across Illinois who are working full time but still trapped in poverty. As multiple studies have shown, this common-sense proposal is good for workers and the economy.”
Raising the minimum wage fizzled in the General Assembly last spring, as businesses voiced overwhelming opposition and Illinois’ unemployment rate hovered just above 9 percent. (It’s now 8.9 percent, good for fourth worst in the nation.)
But Quinn was undeterred. Addressing a crowd of Democratic county chairmen in Springfield in August, Quinn renewed his vow to get the state’s minimum wage into double digits. (Video here.) So Wednesday’s high-profile announcement, coming a month before the General Assembly returns to Springfield, is noteworthy.
No matter who Quinn faces in November, it’s clear he’ll be portraying the election as a choice between him – the populist who represents the little guy – against the “big shots” who put the corporate bottom line first.
The problem is, in this case, it’s doubtful that the current population of minimum wage earners all would benefit from a boost.
David Vite, then head of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, explained why in a Reboot Illinois op-ed last summer. Employers are likely to reduce their minimum wage workforce to make up for the higher wage, Vite wrote.
“While the few employees who earn a wage increase might benefit from a wage hike, those that lose their job are noticeably worse off.
“Strong admonitions are coming from independent analysts too. Illinois has recently been warned of the danger of falling back into recession. According to a 2013 Moody’s Analytics report and cited by the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, Illinois ‘is one of just a handful nationally in danger of falling back into recession,’ and that ‘Illinois has been among the Midwest’s weakest and is underperforming the nation in most economic gauges.’
“As the job creators in Illinois, we cannot stand idly by and see our beloved state slip back into a recession. Not now. Not ever again.”
State Sen. Kirk Dillard was the first the four Republican hopefuls to pounce on Quinn’s announcement.
“I know families are struggling out there, and times are tough. But Governor Quinn is just trying to cover up the fact that since he’s been governor, our state’s business climate has sunk to historic lows. We need to bring good paying, real jobs back to Illinois — jobs that have a future — jobs that families can build a life on. Raising the minimum wage as an election-year stunt won’t do that,” Dillard said.
This is where the politics gets a little tricky.
In 2006, Dillard was one of eight Republicans in the Illinois Senate to vote for the bill that eventually would bring the state’s minimum wage to its current level. (Sen. Bill Brady and Treasurer Dan Rutherford, then a state senator from Pontiac, both voted no.)
But things were a lot different back then. At the time that vote was taken. Illinois had an unemployment rate of 4.4 percent. From August 2003 through November 2006, unemployment in Illinois declined steadily from 7 to 4.4 percent. By December 2009, it would reach its Great Recession peak of 11.3 percent. We’re still a lot closer to 11.3 percent than we are to 4.4 percent.
Again, back to David Vite:
“The overwhelming number of minimum wage workers is young people, often in their first job. The popular belief that minimum wage workers are poor adults, working full-time and trying to raise a family is largely untrue. Less than 5 percent match that description. Many minimum wage workers actually live in middle-income households.”
Quinn’s taking a risk pushing this issue so strongly now given the tepid support it found during the last session. Will lawmakers be eager to take on this issue months before an election, at a time when Illinois suffers from chronic job troubles? How will it look for Quinn if he can’t get it passed before the election?
Or, like the tax increase of January 2011, Quinn could keep the minimum wage issue alive throughout the campaign as a prelude to a big push after the election.
But make no mistake: Quinn drew a line this week between his big-picture approach to government – that it exists to help the common folks – and that of his opponents: that those folks will benefit most if government gets out of the way. Look for this line to get wider and wider in the months to come.
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See the recent history of Illinois’ growing minimum wage in this infographic.
Concerned about Illinois raising its minimum wage? Let your representatives in Springfield — and Gov. Quinn — know. Our Sound Off tool will look up your legislators and let you send them an email about minimum wage. Your message also will go to Quinn and the four legislative leaders. It’s fast, easy and effective. Click here to get started.
Matthew Dietrich is Reboot’s executive editor. An award-winning journalist, Dietrich is the former editorial page editor of the State Journal Register in Springfield. He believes in holding our politicians accountable. Read Dietrich’s take on the leadership vacuum that sent Illinois sinking. You can find Reboot on Facebook at and on Twitter @rebootillinois.
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