Illinois' U.S. Senate Candidate Juliana Stratton Backs D.C. Democrat's $25 Minimum Wage Mandate

A “Blueprint” for Higher Prices & Fewer Jobs

SPRINGFIELD — As Washington Democrats push forward with the so-called “Living Wage for All Act,” Illinois families and small businesses are once again being asked to pay the price for a one-size-fits-all government mandate.

The legislation, introduced by U.S. Reps. Delia Ramirez, Jesús “Chuy” García, and Analilia Mejia, would raise the federal minimum wage to $25 per hour, which more than triples the current federal rate. The proposal is backed by national activist groups and union leaders, and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton has already said she would support it in the U.S. Senate as part of her broader “Illinois Blueprint” for the country.

“Juliana Stratton isn’t just embracing higher wages. She’s embracing a federal mandate that would drive up costs, eliminate jobs, and make it even harder for small businesses to survive,” said Republican U.S. Senate candidate Don Tracy. “This is exactly the kind of out-of-touch, one-size-fits-all policy that has made Illinois one of the least affordable states in the nation. And now she wants to take it nationwide.”

Small business leaders across Illinois are already warning about the consequences. According to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), many employers are still struggling to absorb the impact of Illinois’ $15 minimum wage.

“Our members here in Illinois have been really struggling with the $15 an hour minimum wage,” said NFIB Illinois State Director Noah Finley. “They’ve had to cut back on employees. They’ve had to raise their prices. So this is bad for workers, it’s bad for consumers, and it’s bad for small businesses.”

“When government forces costs up overnight, those costs don’t disappear. They get passed on to workers and consumers,” Tracy said. “What might work in New York City or parts of Chicago could devastate small towns and family-owned businesses in Southern Illinois. This is why minimum wage decisions should be made at the state and local level, where leaders actually understand the communities they represent, not imposed by politicians in Washington pushing a political agenda.”

“I’ve run a business. I’ve had to make payroll. When costs rise too fast, you have to make decisions:  cut back, delay hiring, or eventually you close your doors. Juliana Stratton is a career politician whose answer is always more government. Stratton’s support for at $25 minimum wage is a blueprint for fewer jobs, higher prices, and more economic pain.

About Don Tracy: 

Don is Senior Counsel at Brown, Hay & Stephens, the oldest law firm in Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln famously practiced law as a young lawyer. Public service is important to Don, with a lifetime spent in community service, most often in volunteer positions. He has served as Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, Chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board, Secretary of the Illinois Bar Foundation, President of the Sangamon County Bar Association, Chairman of the Illinois Corporate Acts Advisory Committee, President of the Abraham Lincoln Association, and President of the Oak Ridge Cemetery Board, among other community leadership positions. Born in Urbana in Eastern Illinois, raised in Mt. Sterling in Western Illinois, and having raised his own family in Springfield in Central Illinois, Don has deep ties to  Illinois. As the oldest of 12 children, family has always been important to Don.