Last Tuesday during the 2014 election, one major controversy was over minimum wage and whether it should be raised due to the need to support families.

According to Quincy Journal, the last time the minimum wage went up in Illinois was in 2010, and it was raised to $8.25 an hour. For most families, this is not enough.

PR alumni Jordan Oates, who works in construction with his uncle, believes a raise to the minimum wage would be helpful. “I would be able to pay my car insurance and phone bill with no worries.”

Kelly Statter, a Prairie Ridge senior was able to give some insight about her thought on minimum wage. She said, “providing for myself with minimum wage is extremely challenging because I have multiple expenses in my life.”

Most Prairie Ridge students agreed that the minimum wage should be raised; however, Breanne Fuchs, a senior at PR, did not agree. She explained to me that, “if minimum wage was raised people would lose their jobs because companies will not be able to afford to pay everyone.”

Ashley Crandall, a senior at Prairie Ridge, felt the same way as Breanne about this topic and also stated, “when or if minimum wage goes up everything will cost more including the dollar menu at McDonalds. It will then cost two dollars.”

Whether minimum wage ends up staying the same or gets raised the topic is still a big controversy in Illinois and throughout the halls of Prairie Ridge.