Lawmakers to receive 5% pay raise after Gov. Pritzker signs largest
state budget ever
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[June 08, 2023]
By Andrew Hensel | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday signed
the state's $50.6 billion budget, which includes pay raises for state
lawmakers, health care for undocumented migrants, and new
taxpayer-funded programs for education.
Pritzker was in Chicago alongside city officials and other state
lawmakers to sign the state's fiscal 2024 budget. The investments in the
most expensive budget in state history include $200 million extra for
pension payments, $250 million to fund the first year of Smart Start
Illinois, which seeks to end childcare deserts, and another $80 million
in state funds that will go toward affordable housing.
According to Pritzker, the budget is another step in undoing the work of
previous governors.
“From the beginning, I promised to work together with the General
Assembly to restore fiscal responsibility to our state government after
years of mismanagement,” Pritzker said. “Thanks to our firmer fiscal
foundation, we have been able to put billions of dollars back into the
pockets of Illinois taxpayers while investing in our future."
National studies rank Illinois has having among the highest local and
state tax burdens in the country.
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Another provision in the budget that has received pushback from some
Republican lawmakers provides undocumented migrants with health care
that was part of a larger medical omnibus bill that makes changes to the
state's Medicaid system.
A recent audit estimated that the subsidies for migrant health care
could cost taxpayers more than $1 billion. State Rep. Mike Marron, R-Fithian,
said Pritzker and Democratic lawmakers do not have their priorities
straight regarding what the state needs.
"I think the amount of money that the Democrats have understated fairly
significantly is going to undocumented immigrants," Marron told The
Center Square. "I think it's a problem. I think they have mixed up
priorities."
Pritzker claims that this change will save the state money.
"We save money when we invest in health care for undocumented
immigrants," Pritzker said. "What happens when if they don't get basic
health care, they end up in an emergency room, and we all end up paying
for that at a much higher cost than if we have preventative care and
regular care for people."
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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker
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The budget will also include another pay raise for Illinois lawmakers.
The annual cost of living increase for state lawmakers is capped at 5%
or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. The increase in pay was
set for legislators at 5.5% but was vetoed by Pritzker and brought down
to a 5% increase due to the cap on the COLA's.
Republicans have spoken out against implementing any pay increase for
lawmakers and said that no extra taxpayer funds should be going to them
while high tax rates and inflation burden Illinois families.
“While Illinois families struggle, Gov. Pritzker decreased the
politician pay [by] a paltry 0.5%. While this change may make it
constitutional, it does not make it right," said House Minority Leader
Tony McCombie, R-Savanna. "House Republicans will continue to hold the
majority party accountable to not only our constitutional rights but
also to Illinois taxpayers.”
Marron told The Center Square that the pay raise is another example of
the Democrats' inability to relate to their constituents.
"This is so unnecessary. It sends the wrong message at the wrong time.
People are struggling with inflation, they are paying higher amounts of
money for gasoline, for energy, for food, and for medicine," Marron
said. "We are just so out of touch."
Marron was elected to office in 2018, and he said his salary has
increased by nearly 25% in that time frame, from $67,000 to $89,000
annually. He worries that this will continue to push people into
politics for the wrong reasons.
"I think we already have that problem," Marron said. "People were
getting into politics for the wrong reasons at $67,000, so I think this
will just compound the problem."
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Other investments will include $500 million in state and federal funds
to Health and Human Services for upgrades to their service and $400
million to close major economic development deals and attract businesses
and jobs to the state.
The state's budget will go into effect on July 1.
Andrew Hensel reports on issues in Chicago and Statewide.
He has been with The Center Square News since April of 2021 and was
previously with The Joliet Slammers. |