SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - State Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, issued the following statement Wednesday in response to the Governor Bruce Rauner's State of the State Address:
"Today the Governor outlined his plan for the State of Illinois. I'm pleased the Governor is joining my effort to bring fiscal responsibility to Springfield, but we must be certain that we achieve this goal through smart decisions that do not threaten Illinois' families.
"I'm happy to see the governor agrees we me that Illinois needs an increase to the minimum wage. However, Illinois workers need this increase now, and they can't afford to have the livable compensation they deserve implemented gradually over seven years. I believe business should be given adequate time to adjust to rising salaries, but increasing the minimum wage by only $.25 a year falls well short of the support our workers deserve and their families need.
"Workers are not responsible for Illinois' fiscal problems and cutting wages and benefits will only slow our economy and hurt businesses and families. I'm committed to working with members from both sides of the aisle to find responsible ways to preserve tax dollars.
"During the upcoming legislative session, I'll remain focused on promoting job growth and educating our workforce. I'll continue to fight for the resources Illinois schools need and advocate for every Illinoisan to have access to quality, preventative healthcare. I stand behind efforts to improve early childhood education funding and look forward to seeing more details about how this can be accomplished."
The 71st District includes portions of Carroll, Henry, Rock Island and Whiteside counties. For more information, contact Smiddy's office at RepSmiddy@gmail.com.
###
