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Munger: Legislators shouldn’t expect their May paychecks until August or September
Thursday, Jul 14, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller * Comptroller Leslie Munger was asked today when legislators would be paid next. As you know, she’s put those paychecks into the pile of past due bills with everything else. Legislators received their April checks on July 6th. Legislators are paid once a month. Munger said the May paychecks probably wouldn’t go out until late August or early September. The June checks, she said, “could be four to five months behind.” Whew. * Raw audio of the presser…
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- Precinct Captain - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 1:46 pm:
How long until it is an unconstitutional pay cut?
- Almost the Weekend - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 1:48 pm:
I wonder when more people start following the Chad Hays playbook. Kacich had a good article on that in the News-Gazette earlier this week.
Nice to know legislators have a safety net while social service providers are dropped from the cliff.
- Juvenal - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 1:49 pm:
=== How long until it is an unconstitutional pay cut? ===
It’s already a clear violation of state law regarding the prompt payment of wages.
Your employer can’t decide not to pay you for a few months just because sales are down.
- Norseman - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 1:49 pm:
=== How long until it is an unconstitutional pay cut? ===
When all the bills are paid and she’s still holding the checks.
- Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 1:50 pm:
This might play well. Heck, it does play well. But it is unfortunate that the people that actually rely on their legislative income would be the people willing to find a way out of the desert, while people who don’t need the money would be the ones holding the process hostage. Sad. I wonder how middle-class legislators feel about their upper-class colleagues at this point.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 1:50 pm:
That “reassess”…
Does that include the constitutional pay that tripped up Pat Quinn?
I dunno if any legislator is going to go after Munger for their pay, but I can’t see many legislators going to bat for Munger in their district or the precincts(?)
It’s looking more and more like Pat Quinn-like.
I’m sure Democrats will think twice when they help the governor on a vote that may include their pay(?)
Is Munger holding the General Assembly… hostage… while they are out of session(?)
Like I said, Pat Quinn-like?
- Juvenal - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 1:54 pm:
my mistake…state employees are exempted from the Wage Theft law.
Oops!
- Wensicia - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 1:56 pm:
I expect we’ll have more updated statements from Munger regarding legislator paychecks, right up to the November elections.
- Tasty Grouper - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 1:56 pm:
Juvenile,
Might want to read the law your referring. Elected officials are clearly exempt. They are not employees in any way, shape, or form.
If this was unconstitutional we would have heard grumblings by now. The fact is, no one is being denied the pay. Pay is delayed, not denied.
Still impressed at this move from Munger. She put the GA in a trick box and they don’t have a way out.
- Samuel Gompers - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 1:56 pm:
Interesting labor law issue: Are legislators employees of the state? Or are they more like an independent contractor?
- Samuel Gompers - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 1:58 pm:
Tasty. ..you and I hit “Say It” simultaneously
- A guy - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 2:00 pm:
===- Juvenal - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 1:54 pm:
my mistake…state employees are exempted from the Wage Theft law.
Oops!===
Juvy, you were right about sales being down. lol
- Robert the Bruce - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 2:12 pm:
It’s a populist move by someone facing a tough election. And if she hadn’t done this, there’s a good chance her opponent would have promised to delay legislator paychecks as part of her campaign.
But is it a wise policy? The total dollars really don’t matter much, but I’m just fine with legislators waiting as long as social service providers wait to be paid.
If anything, this action puts a little bit more pressure on legislators from their families to seek a budget compromise.
- Honeybear - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 2:12 pm:
I feel really bad for them. They are stuck in this mess too. I don’t like it when pay is withheld from anyone.
- Conn Smythe - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 2:12 pm:
Headline should be: “Munger drives lawmakers into warm embrace of donors.” See Hays, Chad.
- A guy - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 2:15 pm:
Any tears for those poor lobbyists who are now having to pick up tabs at tables of 8? /s
- RIJ - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 2:21 pm:
Honeybear, I thought that at first, too - but after all these are the people who can change the situation. Their paycheck is directly in their hands.
- RIJ - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 2:23 pm:
Erm - rephrase - whether or not they receive a paycheck is in their hands.
- DuPage - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 2:27 pm:
Ms. Munger, how about paying the overdue doctors and dentist bills for state employees?
- BeenThereB4 - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 2:35 pm:
With the state’s Prompt Payment Act requiring that the state pay interest on any payment that is more than 60 days late, does this mean Comptroller Munger has effectively given every member of the state’s legislature a raise.
- Skirmisher - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 2:42 pm:
There are no innocents in the legislature. Let them ponder all the harm they have done, and let them wait their turn for their pay.
- Mama - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 3:03 pm:
Is this to keep the Democrats running for re-election from having enough money to run their elections?
- Wendy - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 3:22 pm:
A blatant (and smart,) political move by the Comptroller. She’s probably hoping a GA member takes her to court so she can bask in the glow of more publicity.
There are a few lame duck legislators who could challenge this legally and not have to worry about the political fallout. Mike Noland, who recently sent out a plea for campaign donations so he can afford to go to the Dem convention, comes to mind.
Judges, mindful that their pay could be held up someday, take a dim view of one branch of government screwing with another. I bet Munger loses if a case is filed — which would be a win for her politically.
- Bizzy Bone - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 4:45 pm:
Bruce Rauner-n-Harmony
Crossroads
- A.N. - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 4:46 pm:
== If anything, this action puts a little bit more pressure on legislators from their families to seek a budget compromise. ==
Maybe, but I think @Ducky LaMoore is closer to being right. Madigan and Rauner are primarily responsible for this mess and neither are affected by Munger’s actions. If you want to argue that suspending legislative pay puts rank-and-file pressure on Madigan, fine, but then pay should be held-up for the Rauner’s cabinet members and top staffers, too. Has anyone asked Munger about that?
- la la la - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 6:42 pm:
Munger’s campaign continues to run circles around the free media operation of Mendoza . wow.
- mokenavince - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 10:28 pm:
Now the legislators know how a state vendor feels.
Except they get paid like a year late.