June 25th, 2010

Brady supports lowering state minimum wage to match feds

SPRINGFIELD — Republican governor candidate Sen. Bill Brady today said he supports lowering Illinois' minimum wage if he wins in November

and the state rate remains higher than the federal one.

“For the state of Illinois to come in and micromanage wages above the federal minimum wage is a mistake,” Brady, a state senator from Bloomington, told reporters.

Illinois’ minimum wage will rise a quarter to $8.25 an hour on July 1, a dollar above the $7.25 federal minimum wage that took effect last July.

Gov. Pat Quinn, Brady’s Democratic opponent, has been touting the state increase this week as he makes appearances throughout Illinois. The state rate also will be a dollar higher than all of Illinois’ bordering states, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

Brady, speaking after an appearance at a VFW convention, initially hedged on saying whether he would support rolling back the state minimum wage to the federal level if he becomes the state’s chief executive.

“I disagree with trying to elevate the minimum wage above the federal level,” he said. “The federal level is a competitive level, competing with neighboring states. We are losing jobs because private sector business investments (are) going to other states.”
Pressed further, Brady acknowledged he backs bringing down Illinois’ minimum wage to the federal level if it remained lower than the state rate once if he becomes governor.

“I would support equaling, uh, adopting the federal minimum wage, yes,” Brady said.

Championing a series of increases in the state’s minimum wage was one of ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s most politically popular moves among Democrats and labor, but business groups and some Republicans branded it as a job killer.

Only weeks after Blagojevich’s 2006 re-election, state lawmakers went along with the gradual step up to $8.25 for the state minimum and used the moment to give themselves fatter paychecks too.

Brady maintained the higher rate for Illinois’ minimum wage makes it easier for private businesses to take jobs to other states.

“When you try to over-manage the private sector, the private sector has choices, and they move, which is why the state of Illinois, under Blagojevich and Quinn, has lost nearly as many jobs as the state of Texas has gained,” Brady said.

Quinn campaign spokeswoman Mica Matsoff contended that Brady has “once again demonstrated his disregard for the hard-working people of our state.”

“Sen. Brady's solutions to our economic problems would be to turn the clock back” on various pro-labor laws, she said.

Posted by Ray Long at 2:05 p.m.; updated at 2:57 p.m.
Chicago Tribune
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2010/06/brady-supports-lowe...