Bill would freeze state pay increases Top officials would have to forego cost-of-living hike

April 11, 2002

By DOUG FINKE of Copley News Service

SPRINGFIELD - Gov. George Ryan, state lawmakers, judges and other top state officials would have their pay frozen for a year under a bill being pushed by Senate President James "Pate" Philip, R-Wood Dale.

The Senate Executive Committee on Wednesday approved Philip’s plan, which will eliminate the 3.8 percent cost-of-living raises that automatically kicks in for those officials July 1. The plan was attached to Senate Bill 2313, which now goes to the full Senate.

"We appear to have a $900 million (budget) hole," Philip said. "It seems to me we ought to show a little restraint around here. If we’re going to be cutting the budget and asking people to sacrifice, we ought to do it ourselves."

Philip acknowledged that eliminating the COLAs for one year will save only about $5.6 million, a pittance in the context of the state’s budget problems. However, he said it sends the right message to the public.

"Everybody ought to take a little pop," Philip said.

Lawmakers, statewide elected officials, judges and agency directors have their salaries set by the Compensation Review Board, which makes pay raise recommendations to the General Assembly every election year.

However, in addition to whatever the pay board recommends, those same officials qualify for automatic cost-of-living adjustments, of COLAs, each year that are based on the official rate of inflation. Money to pay the COLAs was included in the governor’s budget plan for fiscal 2003 even as the state was talking about slashing jobs and services. Ryan said the state Constitution forced him to include the money in the budget.

However, state employees and others reacted angrily to the idea that well-paid state officials will get a raise while other state jobs and programs are being cut. Ryan has pressured union employees to forgo their scheduled 3.75 percent pay raise July 1 or face thousands of additional job cuts.

Also on Wednesday, the Senate Executive Committee approved a resolution rejecting the latest pay recommendations of the Compensation Review Board.

The board recommended no raises (outside of the COLAs) for anyone other than associate circuit judges. The panel said those judges’ salaries should be raised 1.9 percent to $129,719 a year.

If the resolution is adopted by both the House and Senate, the judges’ raise will be rejected.