Illinois Senate passes $40,000 minimum teacher salary bill

Illinois is one step closer to making $40,000 the minimum yearly salary for teachers.

House Bill 2078 could soon head to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's desk after the Senate on a vote of 45-13 on Wednesday. The House is expected to make a concurrent vote on the bill, amended from one introduced earlier in the year.

The bill would increase salaries gradually over a period of five years to reach a $40,000 minimum. As part of a phase-in period, the salary would increase to a $32,076 minimum in the 2020-21 school year, $34,576 in 2021-22 and $37,076 in 2022-23.

Sponsored by Sen. Andy Manar (D- Napoleon Harris) and more than a dozen House representatives, the bill modifies current school code that hasn't been updated since the 1980's.

The minimum salary for teachers in Illinois is currently $10,000 a year for those with a bachelor’s degree and $11,000 a year for those with a master’s degree.

A similar bill passed both the House and Senate last year, but was vetoed by former-Gov. Bruce Rauner.