African-American faith-based leaders from across Illinois called on
state legislators to increase Illinois’ minimum wage to $10.65 an hour
at a press conference in Chicago Wednesday.
The leaders urged their elected officials to support Senate Bill 68,
which would gradually increase the minimum wage until it reaches $10.65
and go up with the cost of living each year thereafter.
Joel
Miles (pictured), senior pastor of Greater Walters AME Zion Church, said raising
the minimum wage could help curb the senseless violence that’s taken the
lives of too many individuals in his community.
“We have
seen individuals turn to illegal and violent activities simply because
they are unable to pay their rent, to provide their children with basic
food and clothing,” he said Wednesday at the Trinity United Church of
Christ.
“No full-time worker in this state of Illinois should earn less than $17,000 a year.”
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Environmental policies in Illinois have pushed the state to be one of
the best ranked in the nation for green initiatives. Most recently,
Illinois ranked fourth in the nation for clean energy and clean
transportation jobs in 2012 by a 
