Rev. C.J. Hawking
In an article published in the Huffington Post, “Raise Illinois: Why I’m Going To Springfield Tomorrow,” Rev. C.J. Hawking, Executive Director of ARISE and member of the Raise Illinois coalition, explains why she is traveling to Springfield, with 67 other Raise Illinois members (20 of the clergy), to urge legislators to pass Senate Bill 1565, the bill to raise the minimum wage! At our press conference in the Captiol Rotunda, clergy will speak about why raising the minimum wage is morally just and economically sound. They will also unveil a scroll of over 200 faith leaders that have signed the Raise Illinois petition.
Hawking said, “Our various faith traditions teach us that just compensation is an essential human right for all workers and, as faith leaders, we believe that God calls us to share a vision of economic equality. This vision includes a wage rate that acknowledges the dignity of the workers, all of whom have been created in the image of God…. We recognize that some might say, ‘Now is not the time. This will stifle economic growth for the Illinois. This will increase our unemployment rate.’ Indeed, these are troubled economic times — making this precisely the right time to raise the minimum wage. Low-income families will spend that additional income on basic necessities in their local communities, thereby stimulating the economy, creating more jobs, and assisting in the overall economic recovery.”
