Senate president Jones to have f inal say in legislator pay raises

SPRINGFIELD -- The fate of a salary increase for state lawmakers now lies in the hands of Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, who last week said, "I need a pay raise."

By a 94-8 vote, the Illinois House on Wednesday rejected a plan to hike lawmakers' salaries. The Senate must also pass a resolution opposing the increase by the end of May or the raises automatically go into effect July 1.

If the Legislature does not reject the recommendations from the state Compensation Review Board, lawmakers' salaries would jump $7,000 annually. The pay of legislative leaders, including Jones and House Speaker Mike Madigan, D-Chicago, would rise from $91,824 to $102,547. Gov. Rod Blagojevich would receive an extra $20,000, increasing his salary to $192,773.

Jones offered no clear idea what the next move in the Senate might be, despite his comments last week.

"I don't make any decisions," he said.

Jones also took a shot at the House, accusing members of hypocrisy for accepting pay increases last year.

"The House members were the first in line to cash the paycheck when the last one passed," Jones said. "That's just a political statement that they make. If they were genuinely sincere, they would not have taken the money."

State Sen. Susan Garrett, D-Lake Forest, filed a resolution rejecting the pay raises Wednesday. She said she remains hopeful a vote will be called but said Jones has not divulged whether he would permit her resolution to be voted on.

"I'm not sure what I would do if it didn't get called," she said. "It's like we're approving a raise in the dark of night if we don't do it publicly. I don't think any legislators want to be put in that type of situation."

The Compensation Review Board recommended the raise in April.

"People are really hurting out there," said state Rep. Ron Wait, R-Belvidere, who voted against the increases. "We should set the example and should not be giving ourselves a pay raise when everybody else is hurting."

The House resolutions's sponsor, state Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, agreed.

"I'm not saying we don't deserve the raises," he said. "I'm saying the timing is wrong."

Sun-Times News Group