Are You Kidding? Illinois Lawmakers Give Themselves Another Raise

Since I'm quite sure that there are absolutely no money issues whatsoever in your household or in the households of anyone and everyone you know, you're probably delighted at the good fortune of Illinois lawmakers down in Springfield.

We root for each other in the state of Illinois, my friends. That's why I know that you're going to be thrilled to learn that Illinois lawmakers will enjoy a salary that ranks as the fourth-highest among legislators in the entire country.

The U.S. Average For State Lawmaker Pay Is $34,348 (That's Less Than Half Of The Illinois Pay)

Those numbers are courtesy of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), which points out that many state legislatures are part-time, while the Illinois General Assembly is closer to full-time.

Enough about those other states, let's get back to Illinois for a moment.

Since we're all so happy to know that the lawmakers who are doing such a bang-up job here in Illinois are drawing a good paycheck, it shouldn't bother anyone to know that this most recent pay raise, which is in the 2023 state budget, is the third time lawmakers have given themselves a raise that Governor Pritzker has approved since he took office in January of 2019.

But Wait, There's More!

IllinoisPolicy.org notes that Illinois lawmakers receive $151 each day the legislature is in session, along with a travel reimbursement. Lawmakers are given an additional stipend for serving in party leadership roles or leading committees, worth between $10,000 to nearly $30,000 per year.

But, didn't I say they were doing a bang-up job?

IllinoisPolicy:

Not only did lawmakers vote to give themselves a raise when Pritzker became governor in 2019, but they increased their salaries twice while the Illinois government was reliant on temporary federal pandemic relief dollars to stay afloat. Despite billions in stimulus propping up the economy, politicians still managed to pass an unbalanced budget for the 21st consecutive year.

Boasting the nation’s highest state and local tax rates, second-highest property taxes, second-highest gas tax and nation-leading pension debt, Illinois saw the most residents move out of any state in 2021.