Automatic state worker pay hikes, gas tax hike coming to Illinois July 1

By Brad Weisenstein

06/25/2020

How fair is it that some of the highest-paid state employees in the nation are getting a raise that must be funded by an economically wounded bunch of taxpayers?

TAGS: COVID-19, gas tax, government unions, lawmaker pay, unemployment

62 former state lawmakers receiving more than $100K pensions

By Ben Szalinski

06/05/2020

Illinois’ broken pension system puts $100,000 a year or more into the hands of 62 former state lawmakers. It has paid more than $1 million to 94 of them.

TAGS: Arthur L. Berman, Barbara Flynn Currie, GARS: General Assembly Retirement System, Jim Edgar, lawmaker pay, Lou Lang, Pat Quinn, pensions

Why Illinois state lawmakers are still in line for an $1,800 pay raise

By Austin Berg

05/28/2020

Illinois lawmakers are still likely to receive a $1,800 pay raise. But some have tried their best to make no waves by giving themselves cover from backlash.

TAGS: lawmaker pay

Illinois budget includes automatic $1,800 pay raise for state lawmakers

By Austin Berg

05/22/2020

With more than 1.1 million Illinoisans out of work, some of the highest-paid state lawmakers in the nation are in line for a raise – though some are fighting back.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, lawmaker pay

Proposal would cut pay for Chicago politicians to fund coronavirus response

By Austin Berg

03/24/2020

One Chicago alderman is calling for the city’s 53 elected officials to forfeit their six-figure salaries for 15 days.

TAGS: Chicago, coronavirus, COVID-19, lawmaker pay, Ray Lopez

Work one day, get paid for whole month could end for Illinois lawmakers

By Ben Szalinski

02/04/2020

Illinois lawmakers are currently paid for the entire month, even if they resign before the end of it. A new bill could change that.

TAGS: bribery, Christina Castro, corruption, good government, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, lawmaker pay, Luis Arroyo, Mike Murphy, Monica Bristow, Springfield

Bill would stop Pritzker from paying state workers on the side

By Brad Weisenstein

01/12/2020

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has used his private fortune to pay $3 million in state expenses, including boosting salaries of 16 top staffers. Some lawmakers want the ‘unethical’ practice to stop.

TAGS: bipartisan, conflict of interest, corruption, fair maps, house rules, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, independent maps, JB Pritzker, lawmaker pay, lawmakers, Legislative Inspector General, legislative map, lobbying, revolving door, Smart Scale, Springfield, watchdog

Bill aims to pay Illinois lawmakers only for days they actually work

By Ben Szalinski

11/15/2019

Lawmakers can currently work one day to qualify for a whole month’s pay. A bill to change that has been stuck in committee since the spring.

TAGS: COLA: cost of living adjustment, house rules, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, lawmaker pay, Luis Arroyo, Mike Murphy, rules committee, Sarah Jimenez, Springfield

Illinois state lawmakers 4th-highest paid in nation

By Bryce Hill

07/23/2019

The budget signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker included a $1,600 pay raise for the Illinois General Assembly – which already collects the nation’s 4th-highest base salary for state lawmakers.

TAGS: budget, lawmaker pay, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, taxes

Illinois state lawmakers among highest paid in nation

By Ben Szalinski

07/16/2019

The Illinois General Assembly passed budget that included a $1,600 pay raise for state lawmakers, who already rank among the nation’s highest paid.

TAGS: budget, lawmaker pay, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, taxes

Pension apocalypse? COVID-19 exposes long-running fragility of Illinois public pensions

Illinois’ pension crisis has been a growing problem for decades, and its negative effects on state residents are well documented.1 Economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and related government shutdown orders threaten to bring that long-running crisis closer to its breaking point. The state’s five pension systems collectively held nearly $139 billion of debt at...

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Pension apocalypse? COVID-19 exposes long-running fragility of Illinois public pensions

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Joanne Troesch

Policy lessons from Illinois’ exodus of people and money

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students