For Immediate Release Contacts: Stephen Rossi – 312.493.8603
July 15, 2010
Local Leaders Urge Governor to Rescind Pay Hikes
Introduce legislation to cap salaries of Governor’s staff
PALATINE. Local Republican leaders are urging Governor Pat Quinn to rescind the pay hikes given to his top staff while the State of Illinois is facing a $13 billion budget deficit.
State Representatives Ed Sullivan (R-Mundelein) and Suzie Bassi (R-Palatine), along with Ryan Higgins, Ruth Munson, and David Harris, candidates for State Representative, are backing legislation that would stop the pay hikes and limit future salary increases for political appointees of the Governor.
“Governor Quinn has been calling for ‘shared sacrifice’ from all Illinoisans in the midst of the $13 billion budget deficit making it even more outrageous that he’s willing to and out 20 percent raises to his own staff,” Sullivan said. “The legislation we are proposing today will cap the salaries of the Governor’s top staff and prevent irresponsible pay raises moving forward.”
Last week, the Associated Press reported that Governor Quinn has given 43 pay raises averaging 11.4 percent to members of his staff since he was named governor last year. Quinn’s budget director was given a 20 percent raise while being tasked with the job of cutting billions of dollars from the state’s budget.
“Governor Quinn just cut $1.3 billion from education and human services, putting our most vulnerable citizens at risk,” Rep. Bassi said. “It is offensive to all Illinois residents for the Governor to be handing out pay raises to his staff at a time like this.”
The legislation being proposed by Representatives Sullivan and Bassi would create the Gubernatorial Employee Salary Cap Act, which would impose limitations on salary increases for Governor’s Office employees. Salary increases would be limited to the lesser of 3 percent or one-half of the Employment Cost Index for state and local government workers.
Ryan Higgins, the Republican candidate for State Representative in the 56th District, supports the salary cap legislation and is encouraging the General Assembly to take it up during the fall Veto Session.
“Hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans are without work, and even more families are struggling to make ends meet,” said Higgins. “As the Governor continues to speak of ‘shared sacrifice,’ he ought to be leading by example with respect to his own top staff.”
Higgins added, “The larger issue here is that Illinois residents have lost confidence in their state government, and these pay raises—43 pay raises averaging over 11%—further erode that confidence.”
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Paid for by Citizens for Ryan Higgins.