State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) voted in support of a minimum wage increase led by Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford. The legislation aims to gradually raise the Illinois’ minimum wage to $15 by January 2022.

“Competitive wages attract the right people for some of the state’s most challenging jobs,” said Hunter.  “We live in an environment where unemployment and underemployment are already dire problems. The point of a job is for a person to earn enough money to survive in a decent manner.”

Senate Bill 81 would increase the minimum wage to:

•    $9 per hour from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018
•    $10 per hour from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019
•    $11.25 from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020
•    $13 per hour from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021
•    $15 per hour on and after January 1, 2022

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In an effort to protect women’s healthcare, economic security and justice, State Senator Mattie Hunter (D- Chicago) passed legislation that would make all feminine hygiene products free for students grades 6-12.

“One of the reasons girls miss many days of school is because they do not have access to these products,” said Hunter. “Young women do not plan on having a menstrual cycle, it’s something that just happens. It’s an absolute necessity to supply our younger women with the resources they need.”

House Bill 3215 is an initiative of “Illinois Moving Women Forward” a group that aims to remove gender inequalities in order to enable women to achieve their full potential. Of their three principles, the group’s main focus is to protect and improve the access to affordable healthcare for women.

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State Senator Mattie Hunter (D- Chicago) issued the following statement after today’s budget legislation votes:

We’ve been working to reach a bipartisan budget agreement for months. The plan we passed today is a solution that gives us certainty and stability.

The governor and my colleagues across aisle have given us all false hope. They did not vote for their own ideas in the Grand Bargain, nor did they vote for their proposed budget cuts. It’s May, and time is running out.

The package we passed will fully fund the next fiscal year which includes funds to education, MAP grants, breast and cervical cancer screening, addiction treatment and funding for programs like Teen Reach. All of these programs are essential to the lives of our citizens. They should not be excluded or cut from the budget. The programs are vital and work to restore and improve the quality of life for our constituents.

The people of this state are suffering. How much longer will they have to wait? It’s time we focused on an actual budget that will bring fiscal certainty to our citizens.