Chicagoillinois-minimum-wageBruce Raunerillinois politics

Bruce Rauner's Minimum Wage Flip Flop: Illinois GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Claims 'I Never Said That'

Bruce Rauner Abruptly Reverses Course On Lowering Minimum Wage
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FILE - In this Aug. 15, 2013 file photo, Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner, speaks to supporters at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. While the fate of the emerging but tentative pension reform deal lies with rank and file lawmakers next week in Springfield, it also is putting the challengers to Gov. Pat Quinn on the spot. Rauner and the three other Republicans in the race don't want to be seen as opposing pension reform, but they also don't want the legislature to hand Quinn a big victory after he has championed the issue almost exclusively for two years. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)

In a stunning reversal, Illinois billionaire and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner says he supports increasing the state's minimum wage after facing a backlash over a comment that appeared to endorse the exact opposition position on the heated issue.

At a candidates forum last month, Rauner said he "advocate[s] moving the Illinois minimum wage back to the national minimum wage" to keep the state "competitive," the Chicago Sun-Times notes, which would mean reducing Illinois' current minimum wage of $8.25 an hour to the current federal minimum wage of $7.25.

“I never said that," Rauner told the Sun-Times of his apparent support for decreasing the Illinois minimum wage, which surfaced this week in a report from the Illinois Radio Network.

"I made a mistake. I was flippant and I was quick," he added to the Chicago Tribune, attempting to clarify that he supports tying the state minimum wage to the federal minimum wage and seeing the federal wage increase.

In a statement reported by Crain's Chicago Business, Rauner also said he would support raising the Illinois minimum wage, should the federal wage go unchanged, but only "in conjunction with reforms that lower the costs on small businesses so we don't inadvertently hurt the people we are trying to help" such as reforms to the state worker's compensation and unemployment insurance programs.

While Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn has emphasized his support for a $10 minimum wage in Illinois, Rauner's Republican opponents -- Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard and Dan Rutherford -- want to keep the wage at its current rate, but none of them want to decrease it.

Rauner, who reported $53 million in income in 2012, reportedly told NBC Chicago he would support seeing the Illinois minimum wage reach as high as $10 if accompanied with "pro-business" reforms.

The minimum wage comment has been blasted by a wide range of Rauner's political rivals.

Dillard called Rauner's initial remark in support of lowering the minimum wage "political suicide," according to ABC Chicago, while Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis told the Sun-Times she believes Rauner walked back the previous statement because "it made him look really insane."

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Before You Go

People Who Hate The Minimum Wage
Rick Perry(01 of11)
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Texas governor and Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry criticized the commerce clause for creating minimum wage laws in his book "Fed Up! Our Fight To America From Washington." (credit:AP)
Herman Cain(02 of11)
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Though Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain never outright advocated abolishing the minimum wage, he did argue that minimum wage laws prevent workers at the margins from getting their first jobs. Cain was an executive in the restaurant industry, which is one of the largest employers of low-wage workers. (credit:Getty Images)
Alaska Tea Party Senate Candidate Joe Miller(03 of11)
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When he was running for Senate in 2010, Joe Miller, a Republican Senate candidate, told ABC News that "there should not be" a federal minimum wage. (credit:AP)
Ron Paul(04 of11)
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Famed libertarian and former Republican Congressman and presidential candidate said during a presidential debate in 2011 that the country would "absolutely" be better off if the minimum wage was abolished because "it would help the poor people." (credit:AP)
Peter Schiff(05 of11)
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Frequent Fox guest Peter Schiff claimed in September 2011 that the minimum wage was "one of the most anti-poor people" rules in the country, according to Media Matters. (credit:WikiMedia:)
Republican West Virginia Senate Candidate John Raese(06 of11)
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When he was running for Senate in 2008, West Virginia Republican John Raese called the federally mandated minimum wage "an archaic system that has never worked," according to Politico. (credit:AP)
Michele Bachmann(07 of11)
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Minnesota Congresswoman and one-time Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said in June 2011 that she supports abolishing the minimum wage. (credit:AP)
Las Vegas Chamber Of Commerce(08 of11)
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A spokesperson for the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce argued in favor of a 2011 proposal to repeal Nevada's minimum wage, saying that a minimum wage doesn't have to be locked into the Constitution, according to the Las Vegas Sun. (credit:Getty Images)
Rand Paul(09 of11)
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Republican Kentucky Senator Rand Paul said in 2010 that while Congress has the right to mandate a minimum wage, he's not sure it's such a good idea. "I think the question you have to ask is whether or not when you set the minimum wage it may cause unemployment, the son of Libertarian Ron Paul said, according to ABC News. (credit:AP)
Alan Greenspan(10 of11)
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The former Federal Reserve Chairman said at a congressional hearing in 2001 that he would get rid of the minimum wage if he had the power, according to a Wall Street Journal report at the time. "I'm not in favor of cutting anybody's earnings or preventing them from rising, but I am against them losing their jobs because of artificial government intervention, which is essentially what the minimum wage is," he said. (credit:Getty Images)
The New York Times In 1987(11 of11)
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In a 1987 editorial, the New York Times argued for eliminating the minimum wage saying that it's "an idea whose time has passed." (credit:Getty Images)
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