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Pritzker to use reduction veto to correct “inadvertent” pay raises above legal limit

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* From the governor’s office…

Reporters—

As the Daily Public Schedule informed you, Gov. Pritzker will sign the FY24 budget today (Senate Bill 250). When he signs the budget, the Governor will make a few technical corrections to language from SB 2541 that was included in the bill. These line-item reductions will ensure the FY24 budget complies with current state law that prevents raises of more than 5 percent.

The annual cost of living increase is capped by law at 5 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. The budget bill increased the COLAs for legislators and statewide and top executive officers by 5.5 percent. Oops.

The House Republicans caught the error during floor debate. Kudos to them.

…Adding… From House Republican Leader Tony McCombie…

“While Illinois families struggle, Governor Pritzker decreased the politician pay raise a paltry .5%. While this change may make it constitutional, it does not make it right. House Republicans will continue to hold the majority party accountable to not only our constitutional rights but also to Illinois taxpayers.”

* From the governor’s veto message…

Today, I return Senate Bill 250, entitled “AN ACT concerning appropriations,” with reductions in the amount of $192,700.

This bill, among other things, appropriates funds for the salaries of the State’s Constitutional Officers (Article 33, Section 35), Appointed Officers of the Executive Branch (Article 33, Section 40), and General Assembly members (Article 33, Section 45). In Public Act 102-1115, effective January 9, 2023, the salaries for the Constitutional Officers (Article 30), Appointed Officers of the Executive Branch (Article 15), and the General Assembly members (Article 35) were set before their terms of office began, as required by the Illinois Constitution of 1970. See Ill. Const. 1970, art. V, §21; art. IV, §11. However, the appropriations to the State Comptroller in this bill exceed the amounts necessary to compensate the State’s Constitutional Officers, Appointed Officers of the Executive Branch and members of the General Assembly in accordance with Public Act 102-1115 and the members of the State’s boards and commissions in accordance with the levels currently authorized by Illinois law. See, e.g., Public Act 102- 1115, Article 30, Section 30-5 (providing that the Constitutional Officers shall receive a specified annual salary or as set by the Compensation Review Board, whichever is greater, resulting in a maximum salary for Fiscal Year 2024 of $168,945 for the Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller and Treasurer and $192,465 for the Attorney General and Secretary of State); Article 35, Section 35-5 (providing that General Assembly members shall receive an annual salary of $85,000 or as set by the Compensation Review Board, whichever is greater, setting a maximum salary of $89,250 for Fiscal Year 2024); Article 15, Sections 15-5 through 15-40 (providing that Agency Directors shall receive a specified annual salary and an annual increase in salary based on a cost of living adjustment as authorized by Senate Joint Resolution 192 of the 86th General Assembly).

It is evident that the errors in the amounts to compensate all of these officers were inadvertent and that the General Assembly intended for the amounts set forth in Senate Bill 250 simply to implement the salaries provided by law.

Therefore, pursuant to Article IV, Section 9(d) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby reduce the appropriation items listed below and approve each item in the amount set forth in the “Reduced Amount” column below […]

In addition to these specific item reductions, I hereby approve all other appropriation items in Senate Bill 250.

* From the Illinois Legislative Glossary…

Veto, Reduction

The Governor reduces the amount of an item of an appropriation bill. The General Assembly may do nothing and the reduction stands, or the General Assembly may restore the item to its original amount. In either event, the remainder of the bill becomes law.

…Adding… The “technical corrections to language from SB 2541 that was included in the bill” line is interesting. The bill drafters essentially copied and pasted language from the comptroller’s approp bill, which is SB2541. Click here to see it yourself.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jun 7, 23 @ 9:55 am

Comments

Weird, I never knew a reduction veto was a thing. I learn something new on CapFax all the time.

Comment by Homebody Wednesday, Jun 7, 23 @ 9:57 am
=Weird, I never knew a reduction veto was a thing=

Blago used the reduction veto frequently, including on various items on the budgets of the other constitutional officers.

Comment by Stuck in Celliniland Wednesday, Jun 7, 23 @ 10:11 am
AFSCME and the Teamsters are monitoring this action.

Comment by What about the employees Wednesday, Jun 7, 23 @ 10:37 am
Gotta love Mendoza botching this after riding the legislative pay high horse to death and then beating it some more.

Comment by Stymied Wednesday, Jun 7, 23 @ 10:45 am
= The annual cost of living increase is capped by law at 5 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. The budget bill increased the COLAs for legislators and statewide and top executive officers by 5.5 percent. Oops. =

It had been so long since inflation topped 5% that someone at IOC probably just forgot about that cap and/or the last people who had to apply it have retired.

Comment by cover Wednesday, Jun 7, 23 @ 11:01 am
= AFSCME and the Teamsters are monitoring this action. =

This 5% increase is necessary to try to fix the disparity between Union employees and management. Over the years many subordinates have far surpassed the boss in pay. Someone has to run things and should be compensated appropriately. Should Union employees get yearly increases? Of course, and they have. Senior management? Not so much.

Comment by FIREDup! Wednesday, Jun 7, 23 @ 11:09 am
=Gotta love Mendoza botching this after riding the legislative pay high horse to death and then beating it some more.=

It was an error, and a fixable one at that. Lighten up.

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Jun 7, 23 @ 11:17 am
“It was an error, and a fixable one at that. Lighten up.”

*Fixable*’s doing a lot of work there. As someone mentions above, we haven’t had a reduction veto since the Rod Wars, and members voted on the incorrect numbers. I guess we’ll find out how fixed it really is.

Comment by Stymied Wednesday, Jun 7, 23 @ 11:28 am
-Lighten up-

She loves blasting legislators and others about their pay and how she is the “standard bearer” for keeping that all in check. No budget no pay campaign promise started it all off. Her current mistake caused the Dems to take hits in the press since the budget passed. As well as having to defend it during debate.

It would be something that was light if she hadn’t always taken every opportunity in the press to shake the tree of fellow Dems when she could self promote by blasting them.

Comment by Frida's Boss Wednesday, Jun 7, 23 @ 11:30 am
===I guess we’ll find out how fixed it really is.===

It’s fixed as far as the law is concerned. Actually, the veto wasn’t even needed. The approp is just spending authority. The comptroller could’ve just followed the law.

However, this mistake did call even more attention to the raises, as will this RV.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jun 7, 23 @ 11:42 am
==Her current mistake caused the Dems to take hits in the press since the budget passed. As well as having to defend it during debate.==

Oh no, lawmakers have to explain why they deserve a raise to the public. Where is this state heading? It will be the end of us, I tell you. /s

Comment by twowaystreet Wednesday, Jun 7, 23 @ 12:24 pm