Changes to the minimum wage in Chicago and suburban Cook County are among the new laws set to begin when July rolls around, including others impacting everyday life.
Seven public acts approved by Illinois lawmakers and signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker will take effect including the city of Chicago's Fair workweek ordinance, the end of Illinois' grocery tax suspension and changes to school holidays
Here's a breakdown of the changes residents can expect in Chicago, the suburbs and beyond starting on July 1:
Chicago minimum wage increase
A yearly minimum wage increase is set to take effect in Chicago at the start of July, alongside updated provisions in the Fair Workweek Ordinance, Mayor Brandon Johnson's office announced.
Chicago's hourly minimum wage is set to increase from $15.40 to $15.80 for employers with 21 or more employees, with an increase from $14.50 to $15 for employers with four to 20 employees.
Additionally, 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.
Local
This year's increase marks the final adjustment of a yearly incremental minimum wage increase that culminated in small business employees reaching a minimum wage of $15 per hour.
Chicago Fair Workweek Ordinance
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The city's Fair Workweek Ordinance will also introduce updated compensation metrics beginning on July 1.
According to a press release from Johnson's office, employees covered by the ordinance include any individuals who work in one of the seven "covered" industries, while making less than or equal to $30.80 an hour or $59,161.50 a year, and the employer has at least 100 employees globally.
- Building services
- Health care
- Hotels
- Manufacturing
- Restaurants
- Retail
- Warehouse services
According to the press release from Johnson's office, the ordinance requires certain employers to provide workers with "predictable work schedules and compensation for changes."
Cook County minimum wage increase
The increase in Chicago mirrors an increase that will apply to suburbs in Cook County, 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.
Employees are covered by the Cook County ordinance if:
- The employee has worked for an employer in Cook County for at least 2 hours in any two-week period, and
- The employer has four or more employees (or the employee is a domestic worker) and
- The employer maintains a business facility in Cook County or is issued a business license by Cook County.
End of Illinois grocery tax suspension
Last year, on July 1, Illinois' 1% grocery tax was suspended as part of a 2022 $46.5 billion state budget plan aimed at providing relief to families struggling with rising costs of goods and inflation. Officials said the extension, set to end July 1 of 2023, was predicted to save taxpayers upwards to $400 million through the fiscal year.
Currently, the 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. Other items, like alcoholic beverages, food with adult-use cannabis, soft drinks, candy and food that prepared for immediate consumption are excluded from the suspension, as are drugs and medication.
According to state documents, the final day of the tax holiday is June 30, 2023.
According to the Illinois Department of Revenue, for a grocery bill of $145.29, a 1% tax would add $1.45.
Updated fees from coroner and medical examiner offices
Illinois lawmakers have amended the state's Counties Code to implement the following fees of coroner's offices:
- Copy of transcript of sworn testimony: $5 per page
- Copy of autopsy report if not included in transcript: $50
- Copy of verdict of coroner's jury: $5
- Copy of toxicology report: $25
- Print of file containing picture obtained by coroner: $3 or actual cost, whichever is greater
- Each copy of miscellaneous reports (not including police reports): $25 or actual cost, whichever is greater
- Coroner's or medical examiner's permit to cremate a body: $100, though cost may be waived at coroner's discretion under special circumstances
More information on laws taking effect in Illinois on July 1 can be found here.
Changes to Illinois school holidays
In an update to the state's School Code, teachers shall not be required to teach on Saturdays, with the measure extending to other school employees whose presence is not necessary for building maintenance on school holidays.
Legal school holidays include the following dates:
- New Year's Day
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- February 12, birthday of Abraham Lincoln
- First Monday in March, Casimir Pulaski Day
- Good Friday
- Memorial Day
- Juneteenth
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Columbus Day
- Veterans' Day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
A school board may apply for an exemption to hold parent-teacher conferences or teachers' institute days on the following days, granted that the board both recognizes the person or people honored on a nearby school date and holds a public hearing on the matter:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- February 12, birthday of Abraham Lincoln
- First Monday in March, Casimir Pulaski Day
- Columbus Day
- Veterans' Day
Illinois is not among the 20 U.S. states that recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day in lieu of or in addition to Columbus Day.
Additionally, the following days are "commemorative holidays," which are regular school days where school boards "shall include instruction relative to commemorated persons, activities, or events on the commemorative holiday or at any other time during the school year and at any point in the curriculum when such instruction may be deemed appropriate."
- January 17, birthday of Muhammad Ali
- January 28, Christa McAuliffe day, commemoration of space exploration
- February 15, birthday of Susan B. Anthony
- March 29, Vietnam War Veterans' Day
- September 11, September 11 Day of Remembrance
- September 17, Constitution Day
- School day immediately preceding Veterans' Day, Korean War Veterans' Day
- October 1, Recycling Day
- October 7, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Remembrance Day
- December 7, Pearl Harbor Veterans' Day
Additionally, City of Chicago School District 299 will observe March 4 as a commemorative holiday, known as Mayors' Day. The date "shall be a day to commemorate and be reminded of the past Chief Executive Officers of the City of Chicago, and in particular the late Mayor Richard J. Daley and the late Mayor Harold Washington."
Mayors' Day will be observed on the following Monday if March 4 falls on a Saturday or Sunday.
