SPRINGFIELD – Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) reacted to Gov. JB Pritzker’s first Budget Address on Wednesday with the following statement:

“Our state is in a rebuilding phase, and it’s going to take investment to get some of our most vulnerable populations back on track. I agree with the governor that we need to fund education not only from K-12, but job training and child care assistance that allows parents to seek a higher education.

“We still have a lot of work ahead of us. Now is the time to look into his revenue proposals enhancements and figure out what works for our state.”

SPRINGFIELD – A new law raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025 was approved on Tuesday. Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz (D-Chicago), chief co-sponsor of the measure, released the following statement after the governor signed the legislation:

“In order to move our state forward, there needs to be a commitment to the work force that keeps our businesses going,” Munoz said. “Our people are our most important asset, and we have a responsibility to take care of them first.”

The measure also increases the minimum wage for individuals under the age of 18 but at a slower pace, going from $8 on Jan. 1, 2020 to $13 on Jan. 1, 2022.

Under Illinois law, workers who receive tips, like servers and delivery drivers, receive 60 percent of minimum wage and receive the rest in tips or are supplemented by their employer. That dynamic will mean the tipped wage would increase to $9 per hour by 2025.

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate approved a measure on Thursday that would raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025. Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz (D-Chicago), chief co-sponsor of the legislation, released the following statement following the vote:

“Working people deserve this raise,” Munoz said. “They have been hit by increasing housing costs, rising costs for college and other basic necessities. Today, we voted for working families who despite working full time still struggle to make ends meet.”

The measure also increases the minimum wage for individuals under the age of 18 but at a slower pace, going from $8 on Jan. 1, 2020 to $13 on Jan. 1, 2022.

Under Illinois law, workers who receive tips, like servers and delivery drivers, receive 60 percent of minimum wage and receive the rest in tips or are supplemented by their employer.

That dynamic will mean the tipped wage would increase to $9 per hour by 2025.

The measure now heads to the House for consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – Chicago residents could soon have a say in who sits on the City Colleges of Chicago board of trustees under a plan presented by Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz (D-Chicago).

Senate Bill 206 puts the board of trustees on a nonpartisan ballot for the 2020 primary election with one trustee of the 20 trustees up for election each consolidated election thereafter.

“There are 39 community college districts in Illinois, and Chicago is the only one that is appointed by a mayor and not elected,” Munoz said. “There’s not a worthwhile reason for that, and we need to give the control back to the communities they serve.”

Chicago would be divided into 20 districts that would elect trustees to the board with an additional trustee elected city-wide.