Following the voter's lead, State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) has been in support of Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford's push to gradually raise Illinois' minimum wage to $11 per hour over the next four years.

"The people have spoken," said Majority Caucus Whip Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago). "Making Illinois' minimum wage a living wage will help lift families out of poverty, and it will decrease reliance on state and federal aid. It's time Illinois stands together and honors the overwhelming majority of residents who supported raising the minimum wage."

In November, a referendum showed two-thirds of Illinois residents from Chicago to Cairo favored the state offering fairer wages.

The plan starts by raising the minimum wage to $9 per hour next July and gradually raises it to $11 per hour by 2019. It also includes a tax break for small businesses with less than 50 employees to help them adjust to the change.

Though the measure passed the Senate by a wide margin.

For more information about Illinois' pathway toward a higher minimum wage.