By: Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
We didn’t opine on the nearly $5,000 raise lawmakers gave themselves at the time they passed their record-sized $55.2 billion budget, but we can’t leave it unaddressed. Democrats in both chambers voted unanimously for the budget and by extension, their own raises, while every Republican opposed both measures.
Our politicians don’t deserve any raises at all. Certainly not after they just hiked taxes and increased costs on a slew of things at the beginning of July. Gas taxes are higher. It’s the same for gaming and tobacco products. And rideshare services. Companies, too, are seeing their taxes go up again. After they jumped $1 billion the year before.
Our lawmakers are actually going the wrong way on competitiveness as states across the country cut their tax rates. 26 states have cut their personal income tax rates since 2021 (see Appendix).
Yet Illinois lawmakers are now paying themselves nearly $100K for what’s considered by most to be part-time work. In total, their base pay has jumped 35% since 2022.
Add in additional stipends worth up to $30,000 for House and Senate leadership positions and a large portion of lawmakers receive far more than $100,000 annually.
Remember, these are the same lawmakers that have done nothing to provide Illinoisans with property tax relief. Property taxes have risen by several billion dollars in total over the past few years and Illinoisans continue to pay the nation’s highest property taxes.
They’re also the same lawmakers that locked-in automatic increases to the state’s motor fuel tax, which they doubled in 2019.
The same ones that made sure public unions get the most-protected powers and benefits in the country.
The same ones that pass laws that strip voters of their rights, like the one recently used by the Effingham School District to try and bypass a taxpayer referendum.
Illinois lawmakers have destroyed affordability. And ditto for the state’s job creation and economy.
Such a terrible job performance deserves pay cuts, not raises.
A final note. Lawmakers don’t deserve all the blame. Gov. Pritzker has signed off on all of the above.
Read more from Wirepoints:
- Big win for taxpayers and common sense: ‘No Gotion’ restrictions on federal tax credits will become law
- Yes, a positive story. A victory for everyday Illinoisans
- Sen. Durbin throws Illinois students under the bus, including kids from his own East St. Louis
- Gov. Pritzker: 2% support in potential presidential candidate poll
Appendix.
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do.
well they deserve the raise – they worked too hard to raise your taxes!
A shout to all who are still tax mules in illinois.
“Oh Ye Suckers”
It’s great work if you can get it. Got it?
It can’t be that we need to pay that much to get good people! Paying more would only attract worse people. Most voters are the short-term self-interested low-attention sort. it seems that the flaws of democracy are being exposed at an accelerating pace.
Best argument yet for term limits.
Many in the public sector make this kind of money, with benefits, and pensions to boot. The public sector runs Illinois, so get used to it or get out.