HR0705 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0705 LRB101 19691 ECR 69184 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, In the United States, 38.1 million people live in poverty, with nearly 45 percent of that population living in deep poverty; and

WHEREAS, The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that 11.1% of households were food insecure in 2018; and

WHEREAS, Poverty is associated with higher mortality rates and a higher prevalence of acute or chronic diseases; those who live in poverty are often unable to provide safe and suitable living conditions for themselves or their families; and

WHEREAS, The purchasing power of the federal minimum wage peaked in 1968 at $1.60 an hour, which is equivalent to $12 an hour in 2019; and

WHEREAS, Annual inflation diminishes the true value of a minimum wage worker's paycheck; this leaves them with less purchasing power, mobility, and fewer opportunities; and

WHEREAS, The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour and has remained the same for over a decade; and

WHEREAS, To keep pace with labor productivity, the federal minimum wage should have been raised to $19.33 an hour in 2017; and

WHEREAS, Research has found that increasing the minimum wage reduces deaths from alcohol, drugs, and suicide; raising the minimum wage can also reduce crime while increasing economic productivity; and

WHEREAS, Over half of these United States have a higher minimum wage than the federal minimum wage; in 2016, 52 percent of voters supported raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour; and

WHEREAS, Recently, the State of Illinois passed legislation to increase the state minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025; Illinois decided that the people deserve better, and now, it is time for the Federal government to do the same; and

WHEREAS, The Federal Government must provide a wage floor from which all Americans can make a living; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Federal government to raise millions out of poverty by increasing the federal minimum wage; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Illinois Congressional Delegation.