Tax Watchdog: Delaying Lawmaker Paychecks Could Lead To State Budget Deal
(CBS) -- Could the state's budget stalemate finally end after ten months? The head of a non-partisan government research group is feeling optimistic about a move to make lawmakers feel some of the financial pain.
Paychecks to state lawmakers could be a month or two late since State Comptroller Leslie Munger announced Sunday that she will put them in the pile of bills to be paid at the end of the month behind all the vendors the state already owes.
Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation, says people have been waiting ten months since the budget was last in effect for something like this.
"I don't know if this is going to be the one point that pushes them over, but we do know that everyone who draws a paycheck from the state of Illinois relies on that paycheck, and that includes the public officials," Msall said.
He gives Munger a great deal of credit for coming up with a way to pressure lawmakers and the governor to reach deal before the legislature's scheduled May 31 adjournment.
Collectively, the top five state elected officials and and 177 members of the Illinois General Assembly make $1.3 million a month.
They would have all been paid at the end of April. Instead, they'll be paid in June. Munger says that will free up money so that social service agencies can be paid more quickly.
Munger on Monday toured a Chicago shelter that relies on state funding.
"It really breaks my heart that we cannot make these payments on a timely basis," Munger said.
Reactions to the comptroller's move have ranged from "no comment" from legislative leaders and Gov. Bruce Rauner – like Munger, a Republican – to ridicule from some Democrats, including Susanna Mendoza. Mendoza is running against Munger in a special election.
"This is ten months late and millions of dollars short," Mendoza, currently the Chicago city clerk, tells CBS 2.
It remains to be seen if the comptroller's effort will work or if the matter will be headed to the courts, like three years ago when a judge said it was unconstitutional for then-Governor Pat Quinn to withhold legislators' pay until they passed pension reforms.