SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House of Representatives on Tuesday voted
101-1 to reject the automatic two percent legislative pay raise scheduled to go
into effect this month, passing a bill nearly identical to the one introduced
by State Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) on May 28.
Rep. Batinick’s HB
4225 would reject the automatic cost-of-living increase for state
legislators. However, Democrats refused to allow the Batinick bill to even be
considered, instead on Tuesday introducing their own amendment to an existing
House bill (HB
576) to accomplish the same result; rejecting the pay raise Democrats were
up until this week ready to accept.
Speaking from the House floor during debate, Rep. Batinick said, “It’s
amazing what people can get done when we’re not worried about who is taking
credit.”
“Legislators should absolutely not accept a pay raise, especially
considering that we don’t have a budget and at a time when children and
families in need are at risk of being cut off from the services they depend on
for an extended period. As I’ve said all along, how can we complete our
responsibilities on big things like the budget if we can’t even agree on the
little things like rejecting a pay raise for legislators? I’m pleased that
Democrats came around this week and embraced the substance of the bill I
introduced two months ago to reject these raises.”
HB 576 now goes to the State Senate for consideration. The Senate will
next convene on August 4.
# # #
