Senators get personal in dispute over pay raises

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Democrats got personal Thursday in their dispute over legislative raises, with one state senator calling a colleague "filthy rich" and accusing House members of being hypocritical. Sen. Rickey Hendon, D-Chicago, said he would try to change House legislation that would keep the raises from taking effect. He promised to push a new version barring raises to any lawmaker who voted against the extra money.

Hendon also pointedly criticized Sen. Susan Garrett, the Lake Forest Democrat who's pushing the Senate to block the raises.

He referred to her as the senator from "Richville" and called her a "millionaire" who doesn't need the raise, suggesting that's why she's willing to forgo it.

"It just blows my mind how the filthy rich are always the ones saying we don't need the raise. No, she don't," Hendon said. He earlier asked Garrett on the Senate floor to sign over her daily expense check to him because "she doesn't need it."

Garrett said the personal comments distract from the issue.

"We're not here to draw distinctions between wealthy legislators and non-wealthy legislators," Garrett said. "We're here to make sure that what we do here in Springfield is aboveboard and the taxpayers are made aware of how we vote on crucial issues such as this."

Senate President Emil Jones took his own jab, saying "I've got to get me some food stamps" as he walked by Garrett as she talked with reporters. Garrett called the remarks "unfortunate" and said lawmakers were engaging in "a masquerade" to avoid an up-or-down vote on the raises.

Lawmakers received about a 10 percent pay increase last year, and the Compensation Review Board has recommended another increase that would boost their base pay by about $7,000 -- to nearly $73,000 a year -- by next summer. Gov. Rod Blagojevich would see his pay climb by more than $20,000 to about $192,000 a year.