CHICAGO (AP) — Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner’s (ROW-nurz) stance on the minimum wage is again under scrutiny.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday (http://bit.ly/1lBtfXG ) that the businessman once favored eliminating Illinois’ minimum wage. The newspaper cites a January interview with Bloomington’s WJBC-AM.
Rauner’s evolving stance created waves during the four-way Republican primary. Last September he said he was “adamantly” opposed to an increase. At a December forum Rauner said he’d support lowering Illinois’ $8.25 rate to the federal $7.25 rate. He later called that a mistake and now favors raising it under certain circumstances.
Raising the rate is a major campaign issue for Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn.
Voters will see a non-binding minimum wage question on November’s ballot.
Rauner’s spokesman says Rauner has already acknowledged his past minimum wage statements were a mistake.
