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Minimum wage bill passes Illinois Senate committee

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - A bill that would raise the minimum wage statewide has passed an Illinois Senate committee.

The measure would boost the minimum wage from $8.25 to $9 on July 1 and increase it every year until reaching $11 by 2019.

It passed with an 11-5 vote in the Senate executive committee Wednesday.

The bill also proposes a tax credit of for companies that employ less than 50 workers.

Senate Republicans say they wanted the measure to include more pro-business reform. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner is expected to lay out his plan for making Illinois more business-friendly in his State of the State address Wednesday.

Bill sponsor and Democratic state Sen. Kimberly Lightford says she is "not interested in tying any of the governor's ideas to this bill."

The bill is SB11.

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