FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                               

August 26, 2017

Contact: Sam Quigley

sam@patrioticmillionaires.org

202-446-0489

**Watch the Patriotic Millionaires MEDIA REEL**

PATRIOTIC MILLIONAIRES SLAM RAUNER FOR VETOING ILLINOIS' FUTURE

"Governor Rauner has decided to hold Illinois' workers and economy back"

Washington, DC – This morning, in response to Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner's decision to veto SB 81, which would have raised the Illinois minimum wage to $15 an hour, Morris Pearl, the Chair of the Patriotic Millionaires and former managing director at BlackRock, Inc., released the following statement:

"Governor Rauner has decided to hold Illinois' workers and economy back by vetoing an increase in the state's minimum wage. When he became Governor, he pledged to serve the people of the state of Illinois, and this decision does the opposite. By keeping the state's minimum wage at just $8.25 an hour, Governor Rauner is condemning thousands of working Illinoisans to continued poverty despite full-time jobs. Even more than that, he is limiting the state's economic potential, hurting everyone in Illinois. A higher minimum wage means higher consumer demand, and more workers with more money to spend at their local businesses means a better, stronger state economy for everyone, workers and businesses alike."

To schedule an interview or for further comment, please contact Sam Quigley, sam@patrioticmillionaires.org or (202) 446-0489.

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About the Patriotic Millionaires

Proud “traitors to their class,” members of the Patriotic Millionaires are high-net worth Americans, business leaders, and investors who are united in their concern about the destabilizing concentration of wealth and power in America. The mission of The Patriotic Millionaires organization is to build a more stable, prosperous, and inclusive nation by promoting public policies based on the “first principles” of equal political representation, a guaranteed living wage for all working citizens, and a fair tax system. You can find out more at https://patrioticmillionaires.org/about/

The Patriotic Millionaires have appeared on hundreds of media outlets here and abroad, including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the PBS NewsHour, The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and many others. You can find more coverage at https://patrioticmillionaires.org/media

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