Proposed legislation would have cost state more than $1 billion.
Gov. Rauner Strikes Down 4 Labor Bills
Several labor bills came to Gov.
Rauner’s desk following the legislative session, all of which would have
increased costs for the state, taxpayers, or businesses. The good news for
Illinoisans: Gov. Rauner used his veto pen to strike them down.
House Bill 5764 would have required
minimum wage increases for the 35,000 workers employed by state vendors
operating under the Illinois Community Care Program: $19.23 per hour beginning
July 1, 2016; $21.32 beginning July 1, 2017; $23.41 beginning July 1, 2018; and
$25.08 beginning July 1, 2019. This mandate, according to a fiscal note for the
legislation, would have cost the state $1.1 billion over four years.
Senate Bill 2931 would have hiked
the minimum hourly wage for home healthcare workers to $15 and required the
state to pay more of the health insurance costs for these workers, costing
taxpayers almost $87 million per year.
Senate Bill 2536 would have required
the Department of Human Services to provide mandatory health and safety trainings
each year for some workers in the state’s child care assistance program.
Attendees would have also been paid $15 per hour for time spent in the
training. This measure would have cost the state $36 million per year.
Senate Bill 2964 would have required
that the prevailing wage for public works projects be set by collective
bargaining agreements, driving costs up.
