Illinois state Sen. Jason Plummer (R-Vandalia) is hoping the devastation caused by the coronavirus crisis will finally lead to lawmakers understanding the critical need to get the state’s financial house in order.
“A lot of us have been saying that the state’s finances are a house of cards and one strong wind could blow it down,” Plummer told the Metro East Sun. “The coronavirus could be that change. I would hope once we get on the other side of this crisis people will see the need to focus on getting our fiscal house in order and that things like a rainy day fund or saving for the future aren’t just empty, campaign words.”
Plummer said he stands in agreement with a group of GOP lawmakers who recently fired off a letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker calling for him to freeze the state’s unemployment insurance rate for the next year and the state’s minimum wage for the next 18 months.
In Illinois the minimum wage is slated to hit $10 an hour this summer before increasing by a dollar every year until it reaches $15 an hour in 2025.
“If he delays these increases, it will provide breathing room to a lot of different groups, including small biz owners,” Plummer added. “I think it’s really important the Governor starts to recognize that we live in a very diverse state, demographically, economically and geographically, meaning many of his one-size fits all solutions really don’t work for many. I think these proposals are critical because his one-size approach was devastating even before the outbreak and now will only be that much more troubling for the state as a whole.”
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