Illinois Gov. signs bill raising minimum wage to $15

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) signed a bill into law Tuesday to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025.

Pritzker ousted former Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) in November and campaigned on raising the minimum wage. 

The state’s minimum wage is currently $8.25 an hour. It will rise to $9.25 an hour on Jan. 1, 2020, then to $10 an hour that July. After that the minimum wage will increase by $1 each year until 2025.{mosads}

Pritzker indicated he would sign the bill in a statement Thursday, saying “After nearly a decade of delay, I applaud the House and Senate for passing a living wage with the fierce urgency this moment requires.”

The bill launched a largely partisan debate in the state’s legislature, and was strongly opposed by Republicans. 

Labor rights groups celebrated the move. 

“Congratulations to all the workers, union members, and advocates who have fought for years to make the #FightFor15 a reality for over 1.4 million workers!” tweeted the Fight for 15 movement on Tuesday.  

BREAKING: With @GovPritzker‘s signature, the $15 minimum wage is now law in Illinois!

Congratulations to all the workers, union members, and advocates who have fought for years to make the #FightFor15 a reality for over 1.4 million workers! #RaiseTheWage pic.twitter.com/QzXpKNDqxa

— Fight For 15 (@fightfor15) February 19, 2019