The House has a bill from the Senate to consider that backs giving home health care workers a raise. The bill would boost wages in the state’s community care program from $11 an hour to nearly $20. Supporters say it’s needed to support those who care for the state’s oldest citizens. But there is a cost connected to it, $800 million would be spent on the wage increases. Republican Rep. Jim Oberweis says the price tag comes at a time the state can ill afford it.



The House has the bill now. If enacted wages would increase a dollar an hour every year till 2021, topping out at $25 an hour.