Debate around the proposed end of cash bail in Illinois on Jan. 1 dominated the political discourse during this fall’s political races and is now the subject of a court battle, but it’s just one of about 200 laws scheduled to take effect in the new year.
From a pay bump for low-wage workers and a tax hike at the gas pump to a new official state snake and rock, here’s a look at what kicks in as the calendar turns to 2023.
For the fourth straight year, workers 18 and older who earn minimum wage in Illinois will see their pay rate go up on Jan. 1, with a $1 increase to $13 per hour.
The annual increases are the result of a measure Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law in 2019, when the minimum wage was $8.25 per hour, that in steps will raise pay to $15 per hour in 2025.
In Chicago, the minimum wage for employers with more than 20 workers, which is tied to inflation, went up to $15.40 per hour on July 1 and will increase again this year by 2.5% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower.
Cook County has set a minimum wage of $13.35, though most county municipalities have opted out. Those municipalities will still be governed by the state minimum wage.
After a six-month election-year reprieve, drivers will see taxes go up at the pump twice in 2023.
The first hike, on New Year’s Day, will be an increase of 3.1 cents, to 42.3 cents per gallon.
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