Governor's Key State of the State Priority Would Increase Minimum Wage from $8.25 to $10

CHICAGO - On this Labor Day holiday, Governor Pat Quinn today honored workers across Illinois by visiting Chicago's historic Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church to continue his ongoing fight to raise Illinois' minimum wage from $8.25 to $10. Governor Quinn made raising the minimum wage one of his priorities in his 2013 State of the State address and today's visit furthers his commitment to ensuring all Illinois workers are treated fairly and receive the compensation they deserve.

"No one in Illinois should work 40 hours a week and live in poverty," Governor Quinn said. "There is no better way to honor hard-working men and women across Illinois by raising the minimum wage. As we honor Illinois' workers this Labor Day, we should also remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who said 'it's always the right time to do the right thing'."

At the church once visited by Dr. King in 1964, Governor Quinn - a longtime advocate of a higher minimum wage - noted that a full-time minimum wage worker in Illinois makes around $16,600 annually, which is well below the Federal Poverty Threshold of $23,550 for a family of four.

"If we want to fight poverty, curb crime and revitalize our neighborhoods, the best way to do it is with jobs," Governor Quinn said. "Increasing the minimum wage will ensure that many Illinois workers get a fair day's wages for a fair day's work and can pull themselves from poverty."

The Illinois minimum wage ($8.25) - which hasn't been increased since 2010 - is less than half of the average U.S. hourly wage ($19.97) and far less than the typical CEO's hourly pay ($3,072 per hour, according to an Associated Press analysis). By increasing the Illinois minimum wage to $10, a half-million Illinois consumers will make an extra $4,800 a year and much of that extra income will typically be spent at local businesses on food, clothing and furniture.

Currently, 19 states and the District of Columbia have raised their minimum wages higher than $7.25 per hour, which is the current federal rate.

In August, Governor Quinn signed three laws that fight questionable practices in order to protect Illinois workers' paychecks. House Bill 2649, House Bill 923 and House Bill 3125 deal with the misclassification of workers and the attempts of employers to avoid paying state employment taxes and premiums.

They're called second acts, encore careers or reinventing yourself - they're the completely new and different jobs people take in midlife or later.

Today, making that jumpis more likely to be a matter of following the heart than it was during the throes of the economic recession, whenprofessionalscaught up in corporate layoffs discovered they were too old to find jobs in a poor market and too young to retire. They started second careers not to follow a vocation but to pay the bills.

"I'm glad to see the tide turning again - especially for all the baby boomers who don't want to  retire but do want to do something gratifying," says Betty Hechtman (http://BettyHechtman.com), who was on the eve of her 60th birthday when her first mystery series prompted a bidding war between St. Martin's Press and Berkley Books.

She has since published eight "cozy mysteries," including her newest, "Yarn to Go" - the first in her Berkley Prime Crime Yarn Mystery series.

Hechtman has had a lot of practice reinventing herself. She has volunteered as a farmworker on a kibbutz in Israel, waitressed and worked in retail sales, and made connections as a telephone operator, among a host of jobs.

"I've held jobs just for the paycheck and I've pursued my passions, so I know how profoundly different it is to do one versus the other," she says. "No matter what age you are, if there's work you feel called to, you should most definitely give it a try -- you may well experience a joy unlike any you've ever known."

Hechtman offers these tips for people considering an encore:

• Do your homework. There's nothing more disappointing them jumping in to something new only to become disillusioned and frustrated because you didn't take the time to prepare. If your dream is to open a particular business, research the market. Is there a demand for what you hope to sell? Should you give it a trial run as an online business before investing in shop space and other overhead? Start by checking the resources at Score.org, a nonprofit supported by more than 12,000 volunteers dedicated to helping small businesses off the ground. For other encore pursuits, you might take classes or spend a few hours a week working as a volunteer to learn the ropes.

• Join a group of like-minded people. This is particularly helpful for aspiring artists who want to paint, play music, write a book or indulge some other creative talent. You can brush up on your skills and make valuable contacts by becoming a part of a community theater, joining a writers circle, or finding a group of hobbyists. You may find your skills develop much more quickly with the support and guidance of collegial peers who are all helping one another achieve a dream.

• Consider working in one of the five most popular encore fields. Most people seek second their careers in health, education, government, environment and non-profits -- all fields expected to provide abundant job opportunities in the next couple of years, according to Encore.org, a non-profit that supports second careers "for the greater good." If you need training to qualify, now is the time to get it, Hechtman says. "Invest now in the education, and you can soon have a job that feeds the heart, the mind - and the body!"

About Betty Hechtman

Betty Hechtman is the author of "Yarn to Go," the first book in the Berkley Prime Crime Yarn Retreat mystery series, as well as the author of the best-selling Berkley Prime Crime Crochet  mystery series. The eighth book, "For Better or Worsted," comes out in November.  She has also written newspaper and magazine pieces, short stories and screenplays as well as a children's culinary mystery. She has a bachelor of fine arts degree and has been active in handicrafts since she was a small child. Hechtman divides her time between Los Angeles and Chicago.

(DES MOINES) - Governor Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds today announced their intention to reject bids related to the sale of the Iowa Communications Network (ICN).

"Though I appreciate the time and effort it took for Iowa Network Services to develop their bids, I believe the ICN is worth more to the State of Iowa than what the bidder was willing to pay," said Branstad. "Not only were the bids significantly less than the amount the state has invested in the network over the years, the bids were less than the recent $25 million upgrade of the network."

The state received two bids for the ICN, which the Iowa Telecommunications and Technology Commission voted to reject. Their recommendation was then sent to the governor for consideration. Under Iowa law, the ICN cannot be sold without the prior authorization of the governor and a constitutional majority of both houses of the Legislature.

"It would be a disservice to the taxpayers of Iowa to sell this important asset for pennies on the dollar," Branstad continued.

Reynolds noted the wide input sought as the administration weighed the future of the ICN.

"Our office heard from a variety of stakeholders, including legislators, public safety leaders, health care providers, and members of the telecommunications industry," said Reynolds. "In addition to valuable stakeholder input, this decision was also informed by a detailed review of the bid proposals, along with the unanimous recommendation of the Iowa Telecommunications and Technology Commission to reject the bids."

Branstad said the ICN will continue to play an important role for Iowans.

"The ICN has been an important resource for Iowans over the past two decades, and we believe it can continue to provide an important service to those who depend on it," said Branstad.

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State-Funded Improvement Will Strengthen Company's Expansion and Lead to 100 New Jobs

MOUNT VERNON - Governor Pat Quinn today was joined by local and company officials to open a new railroad spur to Continental Tire in Mount Vernon, a state-funded infrastructure improvement that will strengthen the company's expansion and pave the way for 100 new jobs by 2015. Today's action is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to create jobs and build a 21st century infrastructure that will drive Illinois' economy forward.

"Continental Tire is one of the largest single site downstate employers in Illinois with 3,000 employees already in Mount Vernon, and this improvement will allow them to add even more jobs to the local economy," Governor Quinn said. "We must continue to work every day to create job opportunities for the people of Southern Illinois."

The new $1.1 million railroad spur, supported by the Illinois Department of Transportation, will help the company bring more resources in and ship out more finished goods to national and international markets. The recently completed Truck Access Route at Continental Tire has already helped improve the flow of products in and out of the facility.

"The new rail spur will allow Continental to reduce logistics costs," Benny Harmse, Mount Vernon plant manager said.  "This rail spur is a key component in supplying raw materials required to ensure continued growth at the Mount Vernon facility."

Continental Tire is in the process of investing $129 million in its Mount Vernon facility to expand operations, and will add 100 new full-time jobs over the next three years, which was announced in January. The expansion is expected to be complete by mid-2015, and will increase production to more than three million truck tires a year.

"The Continental Railroad Spur Project is an example of the partnership and confidence established between the State of Illinois, the City of Mount Vernon and Continental Tire to support a project that aids in expansion, leading to the creation of new jobs for Mount Vernon, Jefferson County and the Southern Illinois region," Mount Vernon Mayor Mary Jane Chesley said.

Continental Tire the Americas, LLC (CTA) manufactures and distributes a complete premium line of passenger, light truck and commercial tires for original equipment and replacement markets. CTA is part of German-based Continental AG who is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires, and technical elastomers, Continental contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also an expert partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently has approximately 175,000 employees in 46 countries.

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