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 No work, no pay: That’s the intent of a bill proposed by
Illinois state Rep. Mike Murphy, R-Springfield, that would ensure lawmakers are
only paid for days they actually work, according to WCIA-TV.
Murphy introduced the bill in January, but it has not seen action in the House
Rules Committee since March. He believes now is a good time to take action on it
in light of former Chicago state representative Luis Arroyo’s resignation on
Nov. 1 after he was charged with bribery.
 “We had a representative recently resign the first of the month, so he’s going
to be paid for the entire month,” Murphy told WCIA. “He’s going to get medical
benefits, you know, insurance for the whole month. One more month will be added
to his retirement and it’s just not right.”
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Murphy called it “silly” that Illinois legislators
can work one day of the month and still receive compensation as if
they had worked for the whole month.
Former state Rep. Sarah Jimenez, who’s seat Murphy
now holds, got the ball rolling on the issue in her time in the
House after noticing she was paid for the entire month in which she
took office, even though she began working at the end of it.
Illinois lawmakers are among the highest paid in the nation after
they voted to raise their pay $1,628 in the most recent state
budget. The 2.4% cost-of-living increase brought the average
Illinois lawmaker’s pay to $69,464. The national average for
lawmaker pay is $38,434.
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