As Illinois' budget stalemate continues, the state's top political leaders have been focusing on a relatively small number: $250,000. That's roughly how much Illinois is set to spend this year on pay raises for legislators.
Republicans and Democrats both say the focus over pay is a distraction, while at the same time denouncing each other for enabling what they claim to be excessive salaries.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has consistently used his bully pulpit to try to pin Illinois' problems on the Democratic Speaker of the Illinois House. Tuesday was no different -- he started a new conference denouncing Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) for allowing legislators to take a pay hike amid a budget stalemate.
"If they're going to take a $1,300 pay increase for themselves for part-time work, they should start earning that pay hike by meeting with us and getting reforms to our government," Rauner said.
Madigan responded at his own news conference Tuesday afternoon.
"This is a diversion, where the governor is attempting to divert attention away from the solution to the problem of the budget deficit," Madigan said.
Madigan also said the budget the General Assembly passed -- and which Rauner then vetoed -- didn't actually appropriate any money to pay the cost of living increase.
The two-percent raise legislators are set to get would be their first since 2008.
COLAs are automatic under current law, as is the fact that they'll be paid even if Illinois does not have a budget.
Changes were made to the system after former Gov. Pat Quinn tried to withhold legislators' pay - which a court held unconstitutional.
How much legislators are paid has repeatedly come up in political fights.
State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) got visibly upset this month over the fixation on lawmakers' pay. A reporter had asked whether he'd be willing to forgo a paycheck – a question posed during a news conference called to elaborate on how poor, elderly, disabled, and ill people will be affected by the lack of a budget.
Koehler said he would check with his wife about financial decisions, then went on to say "But I'll tell you what, when we make that decision, I'm not going to put a press release out because that feeds right back into the political beast that is causing all this mess, you know. Let's get the politics aside of this. You know, here we stood and talked about the human suffering that's going on in our communities, and you want to make this about a political issue? How dare you, that's sheeping the thing."
Weeks later, as Illinois continues to have no budget, the focus remains on how much lawmakers are getting paid.
On Tuesday, Democrats who control the Illinois House used a parliamentary maneuver to block a Republican bid to prevent this year's pay raise.
Republicans, such as Representative Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield), pressed to get it done. "This is a really easy thing to do," he said. "This should be a really easy thing for the body to accomplish. And if we can't do this easy thing, I don't know how we're going to do the hard things."
But Democrats said it's hypocritical for the GOP to make a fuss. The Rauner administration has repeatedly refused to appear before a House committee that's investigating the salaries the governor is paying his top staff.
Further, the Chicago Tribune revealed Rauner's new state superintendent of schools was given a special, hidden pension stipend in addition to his $225,000 salary.
"It really bothers me at a time that we're looking to reduce pensions on front line officers and firefighters and police officers and that's being talked about in this administration, while at the same time the ISBE is then increasing pension to white collar workers; I find it wrong," said Representative Jack Franks (D- Marengo).
"I find it -- the irony is rich."
Rauner has called his recruits "superstars." He said it's Democrats who are trying to use pay as a diversion.
"This is all a distraction to try to make people look bad or be embarrassed or whatever," Rauner said.
"I'm proud of our team. We've got the best team ever assembled to lead a state government and turn a state government around. Some of them are very well paid. They're taking cuts from what they could get in the private sector -- some of them major cuts from what they get in the private sector -- but they're willing to serve."
Rauner takes no salary from the state. The former private equity investor once said he's in the top ".01%" of earners, and spent tens of millions of dollars to become governor.
Some legislators -- from both sides of the aisle -- are forgoing paychecks while Illinois is in a budget stalemate. Many would also dispute the notion that it's part-time work; many do not have other jobs.
With the additional 2%, members of the Illinois General Assembly are due to make a base salary of about $69,000. Those in leadership posts get an additional stipend.
Legislators are not getting reimbursed for costs associated with traveling to the capital this summer. They do get reimbursed during regular sessions.
