J. Scott Applewhite
/ AP
Democrats have vowed to continue pushing to raise the federal minimum wage to $15. Illinois has already beat them to the punch, but the federal proposal includes something Illinois’ minimum wage law doesn’t have.
Illinois Wesleyan Professor Emeritus Michael Seeborg said it goes beyond the $15 minimum wage. Once it climbs up to $15, the minimum wage would be indexed to median wage growth, meaning it would automatically keep up with inflation.
“The nice thing about the federal proposal that isn't in the state plan is that once the $15 minimum is reached, then it will be adjusted upward every year, depending on what happens to median wages. So if the median wage increases by 5%, let's say, during the year nationally, then the minimum would be adjusted upward by 5% also,” said Seeborg. “So you wouldn't have to keep going back and reinventing the wheel and legislating.”