Lake County Gazette

Republican state Sen. Craig Wilcox is angered over the July 1 return of the state grocery tax after GOP lawmakers in Springfield spent plenty of time during the session proposing legislation to make the cut permanent. 

"I co-sponsored legislation this year to make the grocery tax suspension permanent. Democrats wouldn’t even give the bill a hearing," Wilcox posted on his Facebook page on June 30.

In 2022, the grocery tax was suspended as part of the state's overall $46.5 billion spending plan. The goal was to provide relief to families struggling with rising costs of goods and rising inflation, with estimates placing overall savings for taxpayers in the neighborhood of $400 through the fiscal year.

The current suspension applies to "food for human consumption that is to be consumed off the premises where it is sold," including bakery and deli items, cheese and fruit trays, prepackaged snacks and baby formula. Products that are not part of the plan include alcoholic beverages, food with adult-use cannabis, soft drinks and candy, as well as medication.

The start of the new fiscal year also brings a hike to the City of Chicago's minimum wage, with the hourly rate set to increase from $15.40 to $15.80 for employers with 21 or more employees, and from $14.50 to $15 for employers with anywhere from four to 20 employees. At the same time, the hourly minimum wage for tipped employees will increase from $9.24 to $9.48 for employees of large businesses, while tipped employees of smaller businesses will see their minimum wage increase from $8.70 to $9.

In suburban Cook County, similar increases are also set to go into effect, with the hourly minimum wage set to increase from $13.35 to $13.70 for non-tipped employees and $7.40 to $8 for tipped employees.