SPRINGFIELD, IL -- A measure sponsored by Senator Bill Haine (D-Alton) decreasing legislative pay passed the Senate on Thursday.
"As we continue to restore fiscal discipline in Illinois, it is imperative that elected officials share in the sacrifice and take an additional pay cut," Haine said. "No one is immune to austerity and we must continue to reduce spending."
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
House Bill 3188 cuts the pay of state lawmakers for the upcoming year by requiring them to take 12 furlough days, resulting in a decrease of nearly five percent. This is the fourth consecutive year that state legislators have voted to reduce their pay.
"In order to tackle the fiscal crisis in the state, you have to make responsible budgetary decisions," Haine stated. "We're dealing with a finite number of dollars and resources. The days of frivolous spending are long over."
"We need a leaner, more efficient government that can operate on its own merit after the temporary income tax expires," Haine added. "We have to continue to make further cuts and explore greater cost-saving measures in order to achieve that, and we will."
House Bill 3188 eliminates the cost of living adjustment (COLA) for state elected officials, including members of the General Assembly, state's attorneys, elected executive branch constitutional officers, agency directors, and members of boards and commissions.
"The Governor built in a pay increase in his proposed budget, which is obviously ill-conceived considering the need for budgetary restraint," Haine stated. "You can't spend what you don't have, so we eliminated the COLA."
House Bill 3188 is expected to save the state almost $900,000 in 2013. The bill heads back to the House for concurrence.
More like this:
