Chicago lawmakers have introduced legislation to raise Illinois’ minimum wage to $27 an hour by 2032. State Senator Kimberly Lightford and Representative Norma Hernandez filed SB 3821/HB 5367, which calls for incremental increases starting with a jump to $17/hour on July 1st. The wage would then rise every year, reaching $27/hour on January 1, 2032, and continue to increase with inflation each year thereafter, capped at 2.5%.
The plan would also phase out the tip credit and raise minimum wage rates for workers under 18 to match the new schedule. If the state unemployment rate reaches 8.5%, increases would be suspended.
The legislation would additionally allow certain special-interest groups to sue employers for wage violations, enabling those groups to collect 10% of civil penalties plus attorneys’ fees and expenses.