Politics & Government
Is Quinn Right To Withhold Legislators' Paychecks?
Gov: No pay for lawmakers until pension issue is solved.
Earlier this week, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton filed a lawsuit over Gov. Pat Quinn's decision to withhold lawmakers' paychecks until they send him a proposal to revamp the state's broken government worker pension system.
The suit, filed on Tuesday, compares Quinn to jailed former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who in 2003 tried to reduce salaries of Illinois judges, only to be rebuffed by the Illinois Supreme Court.
In a statement, the governor called the lawsuit "just plain wrong." Read the full text of the lawsuit here.
Asked for his take on Quinn's decision, State Rep. Tom Cross, R-Oswego, responded with a brief statement: “While there may be a legitimate separation of power issue, we need to make sure that we remain focused on what must be our top priority — finding a solution to our pension crisis."
As of Aug. 1, legislators had stopped receiving paychecks. A hearing in the Madigan/Cullerton lawsuit is scheduled for November.
According to Quinn, the move to cut legislative salaries slashed $14 million from the state budget.
Is the governor right to withhold legislators' paychecks? Where do you stand on the issue? Tell us in the comments.
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