A proposal to raise the state's minimum wage is on lawmakers' agenda again this year.  David Vite with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association says that could have a negative impact on jobs. 

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Illinois has been hovering around a ten-percent unemployment rate for the past several months.  The state currently has the fourth highest minimum wage in the nation at eight-25 an hour.  The proposal aims to boost the rate to ten-65 an hour in the next two years.  Bill sponsor Senator Kimberly Lightford says an increase is just what many families need to make it in this struggling economy. 

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David Vite with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association says that will add to the stress that businesses already face in Illinois.

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A proposal to raise the state's minimum wage is on lawmakers' agenda again this year, but David Vite with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association says that will force jobs out of the state.