Illinois House passes bill stopping pay raises for lawmakers

By Brendan Bakala

04/20/2018

House Bill 5760 would stop lawmakers’ scheduled cost-of-living adjustment. Illinois lawmakers are the fifth-highest paid state lawmakers in the nation.

TAGS: COLA, GARS: General Assembly Retirement System, lawmaker pay, pensions, salaries

Illinois House adjourns for month-long spring break

By Austin Berg

03/08/2018

House members won't return to the Statehouse until the second week of April.

TAGS: Illinois General Assembly, lawmaker pay

Full month’s pay for a day’s work? New bill ends loophole for state lawmakers

By Brendan Bakala

01/30/2018

House Bill 4273 would eliminate a loophole in state law that allows lawmakers to receive a month's pay for a day of work.

TAGS: Illinois General Assembly, lawmaker pay, pensions

Special session will cost taxpayers $50,000 per day

By Joe Kaiser

06/21/2017

The cost of getting lawmakers to Springfield alone will run taxpayers $21,000 per day.

TAGS: budget, Illinois General Assembly, lawmaker pay

Lawsuit seeks back pay for Illinois lawmakers

By Austin Berg

06/02/2017

Former state Sen. Michael Noland is suing for back pay after the General Assembly nixed cost-of-living adjustments and forced furlough days.

TAGS: lawmaker pay, Michael Noland

Illinois House has spent less than 6 hours in session this month

By Austin Berg

05/19/2017

House members have spent as much time playing softball and basketball as they have in session since the beginning of May.

TAGS: Barbara Flynn Currie, budget, Illinois House of Representatives, lawmaker pay, Mike Madigan

New bill would identify Illinois lawmakers who haven’t filed tax returns

By Brendan Bakala

04/26/2017

Illinois House Bill 4039 would reveal publicly the names of state lawmakers who haven’t filed their state tax returns.

TAGS: David McSweeney, lawmaker pay

Central Illinois suffers while legislators take spring break

By Eric Kohn

04/21/2017

Illinois hasn’t had a budget in two years. And it’s been more than 15 years since the state had a balanced budget. But lawmakers – who are currently on a two-week spring break – continue to be paid.

TAGS: budget, lawmaker pay, Sue Scherer

Illinois comptroller issues self, lawmakers paychecks despite appeal of circuit court’s ruling

By Greg Bishop

04/12/2017

Rank-and-file lawmakers have received paychecks of more than $50,800.

TAGS: Christine Radogno, Jim Durkin, John Cullerton, lawmaker pay, Leslie Munger, Lisa Madigan, Mike Madigan, Susana Mendoza

Illinois lawmaker files legislation allowing delay of legislator pay after court ruling says politicians must be paid

By Joe Kaiser

03/23/2017

State Sen. Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorne Woods, filed legislation March 23 that would give the Illinois Comptroller’s office discretion to delay payments to lawmakers if insufficient funding exists to do so. This came just hours after a Cook County judge said lawmakers must be paid.

TAGS: budget, Chris Welch, Dan McConchie, Illinois Comptroller, John Cullerton, Kate Cloonen, lawmaker pay, Lisa Hernandez, Mary Flowers, Mike Madigan, Pat Quinn, Silvana Tabares, Susana Mendoza