State lawmakers forfeit 12 days of pay
BY DAVE MCKINNEY Springfield bureau chief/dmckinney@suntimes.com twitter: @davemckinney123 June 29, 2012 3:24PM
Updated: June 29, 2012 3:24PM
SPRINGFIELD-Illinois legislators will forfeit a dozen days of pay during the state’s next fiscal year under legislation Gov. Pat Quinn signed Friday.
Steeped in the symbolism of shared sacrifice, the move will save state government about $1 million annually and amounts to roughly a 5-percent pay cut worth about $3,000 per legislator.
“Members of the General Assembly made the right decision to cut their own paycheck and share some of the burden that working families are facing around the state,” Quinn said in a prepared statement.
The legislation the governor signed, which takes effect immediately, was sponsored by state Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge) and Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston).
The measure marks the fourth straight year lawmakers, whose salaries are set at $67,836, have voted to cut their paychecks in response to Illinois’ dire fiscal condition. The cuts, however, won’t affect their pensions, which are based on their pre-furlough salaries.
Also included in the law Quinn enacted is a prohibition on cost-of-living adjustments for members of the General Assembly, statewide office holders, cabinet directors and states attorneys.
