The IL House Has Passed a $15 Minimum Wage, Governor Says He Will Sign It Into Law

It's official (well, almost): The minimum wage is being increased in Illinois.

Last week, the IL Senate passed a bill that would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025. Local News 4 reported that on Thursday, the IL House also passed the bill, which is expected to be signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker soon.

Pritzker said:

"Today is a resounding victory for the 1.4 million Illinoisans who will soon get a hard-earned and well-deserved raise...After campaigning on a promise to put Springfield back on the side of working families, I will proudly sign this historic legislation in the days to come.”

The minimum wage will not shoot up to $15 immediately, however. A progression will take place over the next 6 years until the hourly wage hits $15.

Here's how it will go:

Current - $8.25
Jan 1, 2020 - $9.25
July 1, 2020 - $10.00
Jan 1, 2021 - $11.00
Jan 1, 2022 - $12.00
Jan 1, 2023 - $13.00
Jan 1, 2024 - $14.00
Jan 1, 2025 - $15.00

Once again, there are concerns about the raise from small businesses, especially those in areas like the Quad Cities that have residents who work and live on opposite sides of the river.

Iowa's current minimum wage is already a dollar less than Illinois' and it's about to get significantly smaller. Time will tell if Iowa representatives make a move to increase the state's minimum wage in an effort to compete with Illinois.