Republican Rauner: Cut state’s hourly minimum wage by $1 to be ‘competitive’
SPRINGFIELD — Republican Bruce Rauner is calling for a $1-an-hour rollback in the state’s minimum wage in a move Democrats described as “class warfare” on Illinois’ working poor.
Rauner made the statement in support of moving the state’s minimum wage from its existing $8.25 an hour level to $7.25 an hour last month during a candidates’ forum in the Quad Cities, but the remarks started receiving attention across the state only on Tuesday.
“I will advocate moving the Illinois minimum wage back to the national minimum wage,” Rauner said in a report broadcast by the Illinois Radio Network. “I think we’ve got to be competitive here in Illinois.”
The position puts him at odds with the other three Republicans in the March 18 gubernatorial primary and Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, who wants to raise the minimum wage to $10 per hour.
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http://www.suntimes.com/24824178-761/republican-rauner-cut-states-hourly-minimum-wage-by-1-to-be-competitive.html
snip:
“In my 26 years in the Legislature, I’ve seen many candidates roll out anti-poverty plans, but Bruce Rauner is the only candidate to roll-out a pro-poverty plan,” said state Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie.
= new reply since forum marked as read
