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Don’t hold your breath

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* Lots of bills pass one chamber then disappear from view. That’s probably the case with this one…

Illinois lawmakers could be seeing a pay cut soon. Or at least some lawmakers voted to cut their pay. Whether statehouse paychecks really shrink remains to be seen.

The state House of Representatives approved a plan to reduce lawmakers’ annual salaries by about $6,800 and eliminate any cost-of-living increases starting this year. House Bill 2891 would save the state about $1.2 million, but there’s a major roadblock to it becoming reality.
The pay cut would apply to anyone who started a new term on or after Jan. 12, 2011, which is askew of the state’s constitution. The constitution states that any change in a lawmaker’s pay doesn’t start during their current term.

State Rep. Michelle Mussman, D-Schaumburg, sponsored the plan. Mussman said she was trying to follow up on a promise she made constituents during the campaign. She said she hopes the move is a sign of solidarity to residents still reeling from the recessions.

More…

Illinois lawmakers are among the best-paid in the country, with a base salary of $67,836. Most also make more than that by serving in leadership positions or as committee chairs. Those stipends range from $10,327 (for committee posts) to $27,477 (for Senate president, House speaker and House and Senate minority leaders).

Officially, being a member of the Illinois General Assembly is a part-time job, and many legislators have outside jobs.

[Rep. William Davis, D-Homewood] said he is a full-time representative who spends many hours doing work in his district and helping constituents beyond working in Springfield when the General Assembly is in session. Davis said Mussman’s constituents should watch what a lawmaker does first-hand.

“I would encourage them to walk a day in your shoes so they can see and understand what it takes to be a representative,” Davis said.

Mussman didn’t disagree.

Your thoughts?

* Roundup…

* VIDEO: Rep. Michelle Mussman on legislative pay cut

* VIDEO: Rep. Monique Davis rails against legislative pay cuts

* Negotiators still working on details of utility rate proposal: Under McCarthy’s proposal, rate changes would go into effect in as few as 45 days, according to the Citizens Utility Board. Rates would be set by a complicated formula that allows for automatic increases. CUB and Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office have said the process will turn rate-setting upside down.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 5:20 am

Comments

House members got a free vote to take back to the districts. I’m sure many are hoping the Senate bails them out.

As far as money goes, the ComEd bill is a much bigger deal.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 8:15 am
Let’s double their pay and make them stay in their districts full time. I think we’d all be better off without the lot of them…

Comment by Cincinnatus Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 8:33 am
Time to share the pain legislature…

Comment by Loop Lady Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 9:18 am
Let’s go the otherway and pay them all $250,000 a year. Perhaps then we might get really qualified candidates and the voters might actually pay attention.

Comment by piling on Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 9:29 am
It’s way too much money for a part-time position (with full-time benefits and generous pension, another problem). I agree with other posters, pay them a little bit more and make it a full-time position. Bar outside employment/businesses so we can start to dampen the rampant conflicts of interest.

Comment by Scooby Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 9:43 am
“State Rep. Michelle Mussman, D-Schaumburg, today sponsored legislation to reduce her own pay. Unfortunately, according to a future Mussman campaign document, the Senate rejected her efforts and forced her to continue receiving the excessive pay . . .”

How cynical of me.

Comment by Capra Corn Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 9:48 am
Loop Lady said it the best, share the pain.

Comment by state worker Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 9:56 am
So it’s okay to send non-union employees home for 23 unpaid days a year, but touching legislators’ pay, whoa there buddy!

Comment by Shemp Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 10:00 am
Monique has no problem taking money and pensions from state employees who make considerably less than her and work every bit as long and hard as she does. Well, Monique, its time for that barkin’ dog to come home.

Comment by lincolnlover Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 10:01 am
Cmon folks, they face 3000+ bills a year and their constituents expect them to be available 24/7. And they have to run for election every two years. You can say a lot about some of these reps, but a lot of them, especially the ones really entrenched in the community who get a ton of calls and requests for help, have a load of non-stop work. And Will Davis is that kind of rep. So is Monique Davis actually. Mussman is new, and appears to be pandering a bit. I just took a look at the bills she sponsored this session and they all have that over the top feel to them.

Comment by tired of press Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 10:56 am
If Mussman made campaign promises to cut the salaries and benefits of state workers — whether legislators or zoo keepers — to save budgets, her premise was all wrong.

Support raising the age of eligibility for enlistment in the Armed Services to 30. Once that is accomplished it might be easier to get Obama or whomever is currently working for Wall Street to knock off the endless war spending and support the expansion of domestic programs that genuinely help Americans.

Demand a return to a sensible tax policy on high incomes.

Comment by Kasich Walker, Jr. Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 11:03 am
Yes, and it’s time to revamp the legislator’s pension system. Say what you will about the National Taxpayers Union of Illinois, but the NTUI’s list of retired legislator pensions after a better job is disgusting. Several former legislators on the list had pensions over $150K.

Comment by Team Sleep Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 11:18 am
It wouldn’t surprise me if Mussman was tapped to sponsor this bill knowing full well it won’t go anywhere in the Senate. She was in a close race that the Speaker dumped tons of money into. This bill would make for a nice mailer and a couple decent earned media pops. Smells more like politics than policy to me.

Comment by Obamarama Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 11:36 am
Good lawmakers are worth $67,000 a year.

Bad lawmakers should be voted out of office.

There is a fair point to be made about lawmakers being full time.

The counter-argument of course is that we’ve always wanted citizen lawmakers with a foot in the “real world”, whatever that is.

Anyone who thinks that barring outside employment will end conflicts of interest is deluded, though.

Human beings, by their very nature, have conflicting interests.

The solution to lawmakers who act in their self-interest instead of the public interest is elections.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 11:54 am
“Smells more like politics than policy to me.”

“Good government is good politics.” - Mayor Richard J. Daley

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 11:55 am
Obamarama, Good point. I wonder if Madigan gave her all those bills. She can now go back to the district with a handful of direct mail ads that she tried to keep the world safe from sex offenders. But her bills are too over the top and absurdly expensive for even this GA. One of them would give all sex offenders indeterminate sentences. Another would give all sex offenders lifetime GPS monitoring. There were more…

Comment by tired of press Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 11:56 am
“Mussman said she was trying to follow up on a promise she made constituents during the campaign.”

How about knowing what you can and can’t do before you run so you don’t promise something that is unconstitutional. Better yet, how about reading the state constitution before you file for office.

Comment by frustrated GOP Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 12:07 pm
tired of press - Monique Davis may be a hard working full time legislator, but for her to defend her need for a paycheck with no cuts, and NOT defend other state employees who work just as hard is hypocritical. Not saying the GA should have its pay cut, just saying what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

Comment by lincolnlover Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 12:18 pm
Cut legislators pay and cut the legislative session to save money. Enough with spending our tax dollars.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 1:37 pm
I know how much Rich likes Texas being used as an example, but they only meet every two years. That works for me here in Illinois. There can be several advantages other than being able to cut their pay.

Comment by Cincinnatus Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 1:53 pm
“Cut legislators pay and cut the legislative session to save money.”

Hey, why not just do away with the Legislature altogether?

Again, if you don’t think your legislator is earning their paycheck, vote them out of office.

If you think they are overpaid, give them a call and demand that they take a voluntary pay cut and return a portion of their paycheck back to the taxpayers.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 2:53 pm
Maybe someone should pass a bill dealing with legislative staffers and there salaries and benefits. They have felt no pain and continue to get rewarded. Especially the senate GOP. They seem to have more staff now than when they had the majority. The press won’t pick this story up because they don’t want to out there sources.

Comment by Jason M. Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 3:09 pm
Don’t forget to throw in Senate Dems as well. They also got raises. But while you’re acting high and mighty, realize that they haven’t received raises for 3 years. Of course State Merit Comp folks not only haven’t received raises for more than than, they’ve had to take furlough days. Therefore, I’m not crying over the decrease for the lawmakers.

Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 3:36 pm
I was amused by Mussman’s presentation of the bill. She made it sound like she didn’t want to sponsor it, but the big bad constituents forced her to. I understand that this was an election stunt, but she could have presented it better.

Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 3:39 pm
They work fewer hours than teachers, and make more money. but they want to cut teacher’s salaries. Interesting….

Comment by Concerned Professor Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 4:25 pm
@Yellow Dog Democrat

This is not about one legislator, its about the entire General Assembly. Corporate and not for profits have cut salaries or not given pay raises, yet our elected officials continue to receive these benefits? Give me a break especially at a time when they have continued to mismanage our finances. They do not deserve more money.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 4:29 pm
Point of Information:

HB2891 Engrossed LRB097 08743 RLJ 48872 b

AN ACT concerning State government.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The General Assembly Compensation Act is amended 5by changing Section 1 as follows:
(25 ILCS 115/1) (from Ch. 63, par. 14)
Sec. 1. Annual salary; mileage. For terms commencing before January 12, 2011, each member of the General Assembly shall receive an annual salary of $28,000 or as set by the Compensation Review Board, whichever is greater. For terms commencing on or after January 12, 2011, each member of the General Assembly shall receive an annual salary that is no more than 90% of the amount last set by the Compensation Review Board.

Constitution of the State of Illinois
ARTICLE IV
THE LEGISLATURE

SECTION 11. COMPENSATION AND ALLOWANCES
A member shall receive a salary and allowances as provided by law, but changes in the salary of a member shall not take effect during the term for which he has been elected.

Comment by Charlie Wheeler Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 5:33 pm
===but changes in the salary of a member shall not take effect during the term for which he has been elected.===

Quite correct. However, that means somebody will have to sue if this becomes law. I doubt that’ll happen. You could say that member furloughs are also unconstitutional, but nobody has sued on those, to date.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 5:35 pm
Mussman’s GOP opponent also ran on this paycut issue. Only two Repubs voted No.

Comment by reformer Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 6:23 pm
Rich, I don’t see anything unfair in what I posted. It is a fair question to ask a representative who wants to cut other representative’s salaries what their family income is and whether a cut that might make the difference between college tuition for their kids is painless for her/him. ANd it’s hardly a new observation that low salaries in public offices compared to the private sector encourage corruption, revolving doors of influence, etc. I know people who clerked for judges out of law school who made more money than what you posted. You really can’t handle that level of debate because it had the characterization of the situation “disgusting” in it? Wow.

Comment by lake county democrat Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 6:28 pm
===You really can’t handle that level of debate because it had the characterization of the situation “disgusting” in it? Wow. ===

That’s not why your comment was deleted. Tone yourself down or go away.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 6:30 pm
It may not be a good sign for HB 2891 that it has been picked up by Sen. Tremil.

Comment by reformer Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 6:44 pm
lol

Another bill-jacking.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 6:50 pm
Lawmakers took a roughly 5 percent pay cut each of the past two years by way of furloughs. Cut their mileage and hotel money.
Does no one pay attention anymore?

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Wednesday, Apr 6, 11 @ 10:11 pm
Responsible legislators also act as ombudsmen to help their constituents deal with state government agencies. That makes it definitely a full time job, and one that is needed to be done by good people. If we do not pay legislators full time, we will get only independently wealthy or attorneys who find that the connections enabled by being in the legislator enhance their law practices, but either way nobody who really represents the broad public.

Comment by jake Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 12:32 am