Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, says he introduced the $40,000 minimum salary bill in the Senate to force a conversation on the teacher shortage, on disparities in teacher pay and on alternatives to attract young people to the profession. "The licensure process is overly burdensome and there are dozens of examples of that," he says. "That's one bucket. But there's also disparity in pay. I represent teachers who live under the federal poverty level."