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 The outgoing Illinois House of Representatives passed a bill
Jan. 8 that would raise the salaries of incoming state department heads, with
the intent of sending it to the governor’s desk once Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker
takes office.
It’s a procedural loophole that would ultimately cost taxpayers.
An amendment to Senate Bill 3531 would hike salaries for state department
directors, assistant directors and secretaries by 15 percent. The House
Executive Committee adopted the amendment Jan. 7 during lame-duck session. It
passed the full house Jan. 8 by a 68-37 margin, with two lawmakers voting
“present.”
Specifically, the amendment states, “for terms beginning after the effective
date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly, the annual salary of
the director or secretary and assistant director or assistant secretary of each
department … shall be an amount equal to 15% more than the annual salary of the
respective officer in effect as of December 31, 2018.”
Those departmental salaries are currently capped at 85 percent of the governor’s
annual salary. While outgoing Gov. Bruce Rauner did not accept his state salary,
his predecessor Pat Quinn earned $177,412 – fourth-highest among all U.S.
governors at the time. Pritzker will also forgo a state salary. Shortly taking
office, Rauner received criticism for paying his top staff significantly more
than Quinn’s.
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The amendment also holds that beginning July 1,
2019 and each July 1 thereafter, these top state employees would
receive salary increases based on a cost-of-living adjustment.
Though lawmakers are voting to pass bills during the final days of
the current General Assembly, state leaders would likely wait until
Pritzker is sworn in Jan. 14 before sending this and potentially
other bills to the governor’s desk. The 100th General Assembly’s
term ends Jan. 9, when the 101st General Assembly will be
inaugurated. Pritzker will be inaugurated the following week.
While one might argue that high salaries could help retain and
attract talent, the state is also not in a position to hastily give
out large salary increases its taxpayers can’t afford. This is
especially true considering the effects it would have on future
pension payouts.
Any large pay increases for state leaders should be given an
appropriate amount of consideration and debate – not rammed through
during the final hours of lame-duck session.
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