Lake County Gazette

State Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) is incensed that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s won't shield small business owners from the economic ruins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The governor could care less about small business owners surviving, for him the focus is all about maintaining his socialist agenda,” Wilcox told the Lake County Gazette. “This is about him proving this government will take of you and do for individuals what they should be empowered to do for themselves. There is no pro-business strategy with this administration, just ore big government takeover.”

Wilcox argues that’s why the governor finds it so easy to stand by the minimum wage increase that kicked in on July 1, when most small business businesses were already struggling to keep their doors open after being forced to shutter since mid-March.

As part of the governor’s plan, the state’s minimum wage increased to $10 an hour on July 1 and will tick up to $11 an hour on Jan. 1, 2021.

“He may be a businessman, but he has not been a small business owner and it shows,” Wilcox added. “There’s no acknowledgement for all the hard work small business owners have done to build out their enterprises. He acts like a new employee has as much right to the business as the owner who has spent years building it up.”

The state recently moved to Phase 4 of the governor’s five-phase Restore Illinois plan that allows many businesses to open with fewer restrictions and restaurants to offer some inside dining.

Wilcox hopes it’s not too little, too late.

“Before long, the only businesses that will be able to survive are those that are able to creatively respond to the new marketplace and make use of all the technology,” he said. “I think this increase will have a negative impact on the people he claims to be trying to help with pay hike.”