Currently at $14, minimum wage in Illinois is one of the highest nationwide. Senate Bill 1, passed in 2020 by Governor JB Pritzker, set out to raise the minimum wage $1 per year until, by 2025, the minimum wage reaches $15. Across America, local governments are increasing the wages of service and part-time workers to ensure that employees can keep up with inflation and rising living costs.

Though this is an admirable goal, specifically given America's economic incongruency, it is absolutely imperative that the minimum wage be lowered in the city of Evanston to promote employment opportunities and to allow market forces, as opposed to exogenously-determined wage hikes. By looking towards longer-term, market-oriented solutions, Evanston residents stand to benefit far beyond what an antiquated "minimum wage" could provide.