Rural Issue

Minimum wage increase could hurt rural Illinois communities

The Illinois General Assembly recently passed a bill to gradually increase the state’s minimum wage from $8.25 to $15 dollars per hour. Representative Charlie Meier speaks for portions of Washington, Clinton, St. Clair and Madison counties at the capitol, which are mainly rural farming communities downstate. Brownfield spoke to Meier just before Governor Pritzker signed the bill into law. We asked Meier what impacts the minimum wage increase might have on agriculture and rural communities as it rises in the next five years.