Legislators finally get paid for April
Friday, Jul 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* They also received some per diem checks…
State lawmakers received their first paycheck in more than three months this week after Republican Comptroller Leslie Geissler Munger delayed the payments amid a cash crunch due to the record-setting budget impasse.
Munger’s office said Thursday that lawmakers’ April paychecks went out this week. That should be welcome news to some lawmakers, who argued their work on a stopgap budget bill that was signed into law last week should clear the way for the payments to be released. […]
But the timing had nothing to do with the stopgap budget agreement reached last week by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats who control the General Assembly. Rather, the monthly payments finally reached the top of the state’s nearly $8 billion pile of IOUs — the same queue in which contractors who provide everything from care for the elderly to food for prisoners must wait before they get paid.
It’s unclear when legislators will receive their checks for May and June. Comptroller spokesman Rich Carter said that will “depend on incoming revenues and availability of funds.”
* The governor apparently disagrees with Munger…
The governor believes they shouldn’t be paid until the budget crisis is resolved but he says that’s not the law right now, and changing it would likely never come up for a vote.
* And the News-Gazette weighed in…
Indeed, some might contend that legislators, having made such a mess of Illinois’ finances, ought to be paid last — maybe even not paid at all.
It’s our opinion that Munger made exactly the right decision in treating legislators just like she treats everyone else. Why should they be exempt from the pain of having to cope with the inevitable financial complications?
Who knows? The inconvenience might serve as an incentive for them to get serious about cleaning up the state’s financial mess.
After all, they — at least theoretically — are the masters of their fate. That’s why no one should begrudge legislators getting what they deserve — whether it’s timely salary payments for doing their jobs or the same financial complications for not doing so that they are visiting upon others.
One legislator cracked to me yesterday that many of his constituents think legislators ought to pay the state to keep their jobs.
- Norseman - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 12:00 pm:
Rauner wants to take a page from the Quinn playbook. More Rauner useless rhetoric to mislead the folks.
The Blago/Quinn/Rauner era of government dysfunction continues.
- Forgottonia Republic - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 12:04 pm:
As always, I think withholding legislator paychecks is a terrible idea: it’s yet another barrier to ordinary citizens with ordinary finances serving in the General Assembly.
- Thoughts Matter - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 12:10 pm:
Legislators do other things beside vote on budgets- they meet with constituents, work to resolve issues from those meetings, serve on committees, submit bills to be voted on. They don’t get paid to vote the way the Governor wants - in fact, that is a big no-no.
What’s next- holding back state employee paychecks because you don’t like the fact that they get paid?
- Delimma - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 12:10 pm:
Maybe we should deny all deductions and credits for any elected official and/or double/triple their tax rate until they propose a balanced budget.
- Consideration - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 12:12 pm:
“I’ve got this thing (legislator’s pay checks) and it’s (expletive) GOLDEN!!” “And I’m not giving it up until they pass my TA Agenda”.
-Gov Bruce Blagojevich
- Krabby Pat - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 12:13 pm:
Don’t put it all on legislators. Rauner deserves blame for insisting on his TA, without which we might possibly have a real budget. Perhaps the Gov. should pay the legislators out of his own deep pockets.
- siriusly - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 12:39 pm:
Its a thankless under-paid job. People have a right to complain, but it’s still a job and they should get paid.
- Shemp - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 12:42 pm:
People (vendors) have been waiting a lot longer than April…
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 12:44 pm:
===People (vendors) have been waiting a lot longer than April===
Mainly because they didn’t have an appropriation. Legislators do. Remember when Quinn vetoed their salaries? That’s why they do. And now this…
- Mama - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 1:07 pm:
Its about time! I was worry the legislators may go out on strike. /s
- Galena Guy - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 1:17 pm:
As per usual with the News-Gazette. They could save valuable column space by just printing this “It’s all the Democrats’ fault”.
- Anon138 - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 1:38 pm:
If holding back the pay of legislators will build pressure on them to “do their job,” why not put the pay of Rauner’s top staff and department heads in the same queue at the Comptroller’s Office? What’s good for the goose…..
- oldman - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 1:45 pm:
They shouldn’t be paid until they start paying the medical bills they owe.(and the accompanying interest)
- ANONIME - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 1:53 pm:
So, when are they going to start paying the medical bills for the state employees. Lots of them have been unpaid longer than the paychecks were withheld.
- Honeybear - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 2:29 pm:
I’m glad they got paid finally. To not pay them is to ensure that only the independently wealthy go into politics.
- DuPage Bard - Friday, Jul 8, 16 @ 3:11 pm:
No one cares about legislators. That’s what the Governor is banking on come November.