The Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA) released the following statement after the House approved legislation raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour across the state:

"On behalf of the retail community, we are disappointed that a readily achievable compromise was not adopted on such an important matter. We thank the many employers who bravely came forward to share their concerns about the specific impacts of this legislation as they asked lawmakers to appreciate the economic diversity of our state," said Rob Karr, president & CEO, Illinois Retail Merchants Association. "Still, we are hopeful that the failure to embrace genuine and achievable compromise on this legislation is not an indication of further things to come."

House Vote on Minimum Wage Ignores Concerns of Manufacturers --

The Illinois Manufacturers' Association (IMA) released the following statement today after the Illinois House approved legislation to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour across the state:

"This is an unfortunate outcome for Illinois manufactures and businesses, many of which will now be forced to make some tough decisions that could impact the lives of their employees and the ability to keep their lights on. The IMA and the business community offered real alternatives to help mitigate the negative impact of increasing the minimum wage by 82 percent, but lawmakers ignored our suggestions and concerns," said Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers' Association. "Moving forward, there must be room for serious compromise on issues directly impacting employers to prevent Illinois from losing more businesses and residents to our neighboring states."

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