Illinois Governor Pat Quinn wants to raise the state's minimum wage.
Dept. of Labor: State By State Minimum Wage Laws
Earlier this year, Quinn used his State of the State addressas an opportunity to tell lawmakers he wanted to raise the minimum wage from $8.25 to $10. Over the weekend, he took his message to a Chicago church:
"It's a principal as old as the Bible: to help those who work hard [to] not live in poverty. We want to alleviate poverty." -Illinois Governor Pat Quinn
Quinn says a full-time minimum wage worker in Illinois falls below the Federal Poverty level.
"If you work 40 hours a week, you shouldn't have to live in poverty," Quinn said.
Critics say raising the rate is a job killer. The Illinois minimum wage was last raised in 2010. The federal minimum wage is $7.25.