Pihos Rejects Pay Raise Recommendations for Lawmakers

(Posted 05/08/2008) - State Rep. Sandy Pihos (R-Glen Ellyn) opposes an estimated 12 percent pay raise for lawmakers saying that the state needs to prioritize its spending so that it takes care of residents’ needs such as paying down Medicaid debts, improving education standards and providing an infrastructure program that will address the state’s crumbling roads and schools.

Members of the Illinois House voted 94 to 8 with six abstaining on House Joint Resolution 132 to reject recommended pay raises for lawmakers. The measure now moves to the Senate where it must also be rejected otherwise the salary recommendations will automatically take effect.

“I do not believe it is fiscally responsible to accept such a pay raise when we have so many financial obligations that have not been met,” Pihos said. “It is important that we stay on task and resolve the issues that are currently before us such as filling the $750 million budget hole and creating a jobs and infrastructure plan that will benefit all the residents of this state.”

The state’s Compensation Review Board had recommended pay raises that would increase the base salary for part-time lawmakers to nearly $73,000 next year. The resolution, HJR 132, disapproves of the Compensation Review Board’s 2008 report, which recommends cost of living adjustments and a salary increase for members of the Illinois General Assembly. In recent years, the House has voted to reject pay raises for lawmakers; however, the Senate has refused to turn down the pay recommendations.

“I encourage my colleagues in the Senate to reject these raises and focus on the matters that need to be addressed,” Pihos said. “Instead of giving a pay raise to legislators, we should be providing tax relief to Illinois families to help spur economic growth and give overburdened taxpayers a break. We need to keep our priorities in the right place, especially at a time when hardworking Illinois families are paying a lot more for groceries, when gas is rapidly approaching $4 a gallon and residents are struggling to keep their homes.”