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on
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
State Representative Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, issued
the following statement today in response to Governor JB Pritzker’s Budget
Address to a joint session of the Illinois General Assembly:
“With Illinois facing a yearly exodus of nearly
50,000 residents, I'm not sure how $5 billion in new taxes proposed by the
Governor is going to help. The Governor offered an old playbook we’ve seen
before in Springfield for years - tax, borrow and spend. Governor Pritzker’s
pension plan relies on more borrowing, pseudo-pension holidays and kicking the
can further down the road. In fact, these are the same pension gimmicks that
Rod Blagojevich relied on for his phony budgets for years.
![]() |
Rep. Joe Sosnowski listens to the Governor's Budget Address. |
"The Governor’s budget offers no property tax
relief. It does nothing to help job creators. It does nothing to pay down the
state’s $8 billion backlog of unpaid bills. Unfortunately, this was a speech
based on keeping campaign promises and increased spending instead of dealing
with the fiscal realities of our state.”
on
Friday, February 15, 2019
On February
14, 2019, the Illinois House of Representatives passed SB 1 with a vote of 69
to 47. SB 1 increases the Illinois minimum wage from $8.25 per hour to $15 per
hour. This increase will be rolled out over the next 6 years in a ramp-up
schedule as shown below.
Date Minimum Wage
Current $8.25/hr
January 1, 2020 $9.25/hr
July 1, 2020 $10/hr
January 1, 2021 $11/hr
January 1, 2022 $12/hr
January 1, 2023 $13/hr
January 1, 2024 $14/hr
January 1, 2025 $15/hr
This minimum wage increase will cost the state over $1 billion because current employee contracts will go up as a result. This increase will also drive up costs to local schools, universities, non-profits, park districts, day care centers, and many others. All of these costs will be passed along to local taxpayers, many in the form of higher property taxes. Rushing through a minimum wage increase in this manner will drive businesses from Illinois, especially in communities close to the state line.
"Treating the rest of the state as if it has the same strengths as Chicago is simply illogical," Rob Karr, IRMA's president, and CEO said to the Daily Herald. "No one else has 55 million visitors a year." They argued for a regional alternative -- a $15 rate in Chicago within five years, a $13 rate in the suburbs within seven years and an $11 rate for downstate communities within five years. The state of New York voted a minimum wage increase similar to the plan that IRMA suggested as can be seen in the chart below:
Date Minimum Wage
Current $8.25/hr
January 1, 2020 $9.25/hr
July 1, 2020 $10/hr
January 1, 2021 $11/hr
January 1, 2022 $12/hr
January 1, 2023 $13/hr
January 1, 2024 $14/hr
January 1, 2025 $15/hr
This minimum wage increase will cost the state over $1 billion because current employee contracts will go up as a result. This increase will also drive up costs to local schools, universities, non-profits, park districts, day care centers, and many others. All of these costs will be passed along to local taxpayers, many in the form of higher property taxes. Rushing through a minimum wage increase in this manner will drive businesses from Illinois, especially in communities close to the state line.
"Treating the rest of the state as if it has the same strengths as Chicago is simply illogical," Rob Karr, IRMA's president, and CEO said to the Daily Herald. "No one else has 55 million visitors a year." They argued for a regional alternative -- a $15 rate in Chicago within five years, a $13 rate in the suburbs within seven years and an $11 rate for downstate communities within five years. The state of New York voted a minimum wage increase similar to the plan that IRMA suggested as can be seen in the chart below:
Rockford has long been known for its manufacturing. One business contacted me
last week. This manufacturing company has been in business here for over 40
years. It employs 250 people and, instead of layoffs, cutting employee benefits
or raising prices, this business will be moving to Wisconsin as soon as
possible.
When Governor J.B. Pritzker took office last month he spoke of bipartisan cooperation while the state tackles the challenges still facing it. With the House currently made up of 74 Democrats and 44 Republicans, yesterday’s vote of 69 to 47 clearly fell along party lines. Many Republicans expressed their concern during the House debate before the vote that none of them were asked to the table to negotiate the terms of the bill. Enhanced tax relief for small businesses and other pro-business reforms may still need to be addressed to mitigate the damage done by this legislation.
When Governor J.B. Pritzker took office last month he spoke of bipartisan cooperation while the state tackles the challenges still facing it. With the House currently made up of 74 Democrats and 44 Republicans, yesterday’s vote of 69 to 47 clearly fell along party lines. Many Republicans expressed their concern during the House debate before the vote that none of them were asked to the table to negotiate the terms of the bill. Enhanced tax relief for small businesses and other pro-business reforms may still need to be addressed to mitigate the damage done by this legislation.
Sincerely,
Joe Sosnowski
State Representative, 69th District
on
Thursday, February 14, 2019
State Representative Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, issued
the following statement today following final passage of legislation to raise
Illinois’ minimum wage to $15 per hour by January 1, 2025:

The legislation, Senate Bill 1, now goes to Governor Pritzker
to be signed into law. Illinois’ minimum wage will go up to $9.25 per hour on
January 1, 2020 before increasing to $10 per hour on July 1, 2020 and
increasing $1 on January 1 of each year thereafter until reaching $15 in 2025.
on
Monday, February 04, 2019
State Representative Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, has
been appointed Republican Spokesperson on the Revenue & Finance Committee for
the 2019-2021 legislative term, a role that positions him to play a leading
role in upcoming state budget negotiations. Committee assignments for the 101st General
Assembly were announced today as the Illinois House of Representatives prepares
to reconvene on Tuesday, February 5.

“As Spokesperson, I will be a voice for Stateline
area families and taxpayers on reforming the Illinois budget and fighting for
meaningful, lasting property tax relief,” Sosnowski said. “We have a lot of
challenges to face together in the coming months, yet I am cautiously optimistic
about the new tone being set in Springfield placing an emphasis on bipartisanship.
It’s time to translate rhetoric into results.”
on
Tuesday, January 29, 2019

“Business as usual in Springfield will continue for
at least two more years as a result of today’s disappointing vote. We are
supposed to be a representative democracy, where all Illinois residents from are
represented equally. Unfortunately, that is not the case right now in the
Illinois House of Representatives. Today we offered an alternative set of House
Rules containing reforms that would foster an environment of individual
legislator empowerment, regardless of partisan affiliation. Unfortunately, the
Speaker did not allow this option to be considered. Instead of breaking the
Speaker’s stranglehold on power, the House voted today to maintain the status
quo.”
The alternative set of House Rules co-sponsored by
Representative Sosnowski containing reforms was introduced as HR
62. Despite having a total of 44 sponsors, the resolution was denied a
floor debate or vote. The five reforms contained in HR 62 include:
on
Friday, January 18, 2019

The amendment Representative Sosnowski has signed
on to co-sponsor is HJRCA
10, introduced by House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western
Springs. The amendment presently has 43
co-sponsors.
“It is long past time that we give voters the
ability to end the practice of politicians choosing their own voters,”
Sosnowski said. “There is no mistaking that the current redistricting
process is deeply flawed and must be reformed.”
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