By: Chris Gilson, cgilson@cbs4qc.com
Your paycheck could be getting bigger. That's if Illinois Governor Pat Quinn gets his way.
"Nobody in Illinois should work 40 hours a week and live in poverty that's a principal as old as the Bible," Governor Pat Quinn said.
Right now, minimum wage in Illinois is $8.25. That is about a dollar more than most of Illinois' neighbors.
While a raise may sound good to workers, it could cost employees their jobs. One local business owner said it's more than just an extra two bucks an hour.
It's always nice to get a raise. Many view it as extra cash to pay those bills that never seem to stop piling up.
But, small business owners like Psyndy Compton-Muse, said this will only add bills for them.
Psyndy Compton-Muse has owned Mama Compton's in Rock Island for a decade.
And she said it's getting tougher to run her own business as government regulations grow.
"Its very scary it's a big concern for us," Compton-Muse said.
Compton-Muse said people don't realize that when minimum wage goes up businesses like hers have to pay more taxes for social security and medicare.
"The government tells you what you're going to put per hourly wage and that's what you have to pay so all of that is going to go up so it's already hard to make those hurdles," Compton-Muse said.
Hurdles that Compton-Muse said not everyone will be able to jump over.
"So that means we'll have to lay people off potentially or we won't have the funds to hire when we need to hire," she said.
But, others feel raising the minimum wage is long overdue.
"I think it needs to go up everywhere really. I think it's a good idea," Nick Jones said.
Nick Jones said he works two jobs and is make barely enough to take care of his 14 month old son.
"I can't afford to pay rent and buy diapers every month. So I mean I have to work multiple jobs," Jones said.
There's no word on when the State Legislature could vote on raising the minimum wage. And some political analysts said the Governor may have a tough time drumming up support.
