SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) issued the following statement after Gov. JB Pritzker’s 2019 Budget Address:

“It was refreshing to hear a budget address from a governor who is willing to work with the General Assembly to pass a balanced budget. After four years of budget addresses that seemed hostile to cooperation and functioning government, this return to stability is a nice change.

“I’m encouraged by Gov. Pritzker’s pledge to search for new revenue sources. Any way that we can increase the state’s revenue stream without having to increase taxes on working families is step in the right direction.

“I was also pleased to hear the governor lay out his legislative and budgetary priorities for this General Assembly. It’s much easier to work with a governor who makes their intentions clear. That allows us in the legislature to set our own agenda in a way that is complementary to the executive so that we can coexist in the way we ought to: as separate but equal branches.

“Overall, I was pleased with the address, and I look forward to working with the governor along with my Senate colleagues to ensure that the budgets we pass in the future are all fair, balanced and beneficial to everyone in Illinois.”

SPRINGFIELD – A potential gap in the protection of abused minors would be closed under a measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) which passed out of a Senate committee today.

“This adjusts an existing statute that, under specific circumstances, has left abuse survivors with no options for justice in the past,” Fine said. “This problem arises from situations when a survivor of abuse turns 18 between the incident and the court date. It’s an accident of timing that has let predators walk away clean and it’s unacceptable. I’m happy to help close a loophole that harms a minor who is a survivor of abuse.”

Senate Bill 1116 corrects nuances in the language of the law that currently leave open the potential for an instance of abuse to never be brought to trial if the abuse survivor’s 18^th birthday falls between the filing of the charges and the scheduled court date. While unlikely, it has happened in the past in rare circumstances. SB1116 closes the loophole and allows the cases to be heard in court, even if the minor comes of age.

The measure passed the Senate Judiciary Committee and will proceed to the full Senate for consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) released the following statement after Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill increasing the minimum wage in Illinois to $15 by 2025:

“I’m proud of the Governor for moving so quickly to finally finish what we’ve been working on in the Senate for years. Working class families have deserved fairer compensation for the work they do for years, and I’m honored to have been a part of the process allowing that to happen.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) voted Thursday to increase the pay of minimum wage workers across Illinois.

“Wages have been stagnant for nearly a decade, but the cost of living certainly has not, and minimum wage workers have struggled to keep up,” Fine said. “This has been going on for far too long, and I’m proud to have helped the Senate pass this important legislation that will help so many people throughout the state.”

The current minimum wage is $8.25 per hour. The proposed wage increase would be phased in gradually over the next several years:

• $9.25 per hour on Jan. 1, 2020
• $10 per hour on July 1, 2020
• $11 per hour on Jan. 1, 2021
• $12 per hour on Jan. 1, 2022
• $13 per hour on Jan. 1, 2023
• $14 per hour on Jan. 1, 2024
• $15 per hour starting Jan. 1, 2025

The legislation, Senate Bill 1, will now head to the House of Representatives for consideration.