Illinois lawmakers are still among highest paid in U.S.
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By Kevin McDermott | Sunday, December 10, 2006 |
SPRINGFIELD — In their roughly six months of legislating this year, state lawmakers couldn’t come to an agreement on how to ease the impact of skyrocketing electricity rates, rein in the state’s campaign laws, or put the state budget on sound long-term footing.
But before adjourning for the year last week, they did manage to significantly raise their own pay, maintaining one of the highest legislative salaries in America — and the very highest among similar part-time legislatures.
Illinois legislators currently earn base salaries of $57,619, which is set to rise to $68,800 next year, in part because the Illinois Senate failed this month to stop a scheduled pay increase. The salary boost is the result of several years’ worth of scheduled increases that the Legislature had earlier rejected, and is in addition to thousands of dollars more that many Illinois lawmakers get for committee chairmanships, leadership posts and a regular per diem payment for days they meet in session in Springfield.
Those session periods generally total six months or less per year, making the Illinois General Assembly — like that of most states — a part-time legislature.
But a Post-Dispatch analysis found that Illinois legislators’ current base salary, before the upcoming raise, makes them the fifth highest-paid state lawmakers in the nation. The only better-paid lawmakers — those in California, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania — are considered full-time legislative bodies.
Other legislatures with schedules closer to Illinois’ half-year cycle — including Missouri, where the schedule is virtually identical to Illinois’ — earn far less than their Illinois counterparts.
“We’re the No. 1 paid part-time legislature … (but) it’s sort of odd that by almost every socioeconomic indicator, we’re never No. 1 at the good things,’’ quipped Jay Stewart, executive director of the Better Government Association in Chicago. “I’m glad the Illinois Senate is making sure we’re first at something.’’
The Illinois House and Senate generally meet from January through May or June, then return to Springfield for two weeks in November to consider gubernatorial vetoes. But legislators and staff here almost universally dispute the notion that that makes them part-timers.
“Being in session is a small part of the story,’’ said Cindy Davidsmeyer, spokeswoman for Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago. “They’re working on legislation even when they’re not in Springfield … taking calls (from constituents)’’ and attending hearings. It’s much more than a part-time position.’’
Still, the half-year legislative schedule allows lawmakers to maintain nongovernmental careers, and many do. According to official biographical data on the state’s 177 legislators, fewer than 75 of them call themselves “full-time legislators’’ and list no other current occupation. Among those with other careers are numerous lawyers, small-business owners, administrators, several farmers and a handful of other occupations.
The National Conference of State Legislatures, or NCSL, categorizes the nation’s various state lawmaking bodies according to whether they are considered part time or full time. The organization acknowledges on its Web site that “it’s difficult to paint this issue in black and white’’ because of the widely varied schedules and pay of lawmakers in different states.
They range from California, where state legislators were paid $110,880 in 2005 — along with a $138 per diem for each session day in the roughly eight months they meet each year — to New Hampshire, where lawmakers are in effect volunteers, getting $200 for their entire two-year terms, with no per diem.
Kevin McDermott can be contacted at (217) 782-4912 or
kmcdermott@post-dispatch.com.
Top salaries
Top five base salaries for state legislatures (plus Missouri and Iowa) as of November 2005:*
1. California: $110,880 a year, plus $138 a day for each day in session.
2. Michigan: $79,650 a year, plus up to $12,000 for yearly expenses.
3. New York: $79,500, plus varying per diem.
4. Pennsylvania: $69,647 a year, plus $128 for each session day.
5. Illinois: $57,619 a year, plus $102 a day for session day.*
15. Missouri: $31,351 a year, plus $76 a day for each session day.
21 Iowa: $27,000 a year in base pay, plus $86 per day for lawmakers who live outside Polk County
* In Illinois, as in most states, representatives and senators earn the same amount. Figures don’t include extra payment that Illinois and some other states offer for committee positions and leadership posts.
Source: National
Conference of State
Legislatures
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