Illinois lawmakers among highest paid in country, double national average

Illinois lawmakers now earn the fourth highest pay rate in the country at $128,000 annually, or more than double the national average.

With their latest pay hike, base salaries jumped to $98,000, with per diem and bonuses for leadership and committee positions accounting for the rest of their earnings.

Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski is quick to add the growing windfall comes at a time when lawmakers are in session for roughly just 70 days a year.

“I just think it's fascinating that these lawmakers keep giving themselves raises when they've made such a mess for Illinois,” Dabrowski told The Center Square. “We got some of the highest taxes in the country; the highest property taxes in the country and the second highest gas taxes in the country. People are leaving in record numbers and Illinois is in really tough shape and our lawmakers have done so much negative they don't deserve raises.”

Dabrowski said instead, legislators need pay cuts or to be fired and replaced by voters.

“I think too many of our residents don't pay attention to what's happening,” he said. “So, a lot of this is really the fault of the voter. Sometimes our media and sometimes the legislators don't tell the truth to the voter and the voter believes it, but the voter needs to be smarter, much more engaged and take action against a lot of this, a lot of these bad legislators.”

Dabrowski is quick to add the growing windfall for legislators comes at a time when residents are facing some of the highest unemployment rates in the country along with the nation’s highest property taxes and the highest overall state and local tax rates.

Besides the pay raises lawmakers granted themselves as part of the new record-setting $55.2 billion state budget that went into effect on July 1, taxpayers also face at least five other cost-increasing taxes. Among them, a wireless cell phone charge and a tobacco and nicotine tax hike.

Going forward, Dabrowski has a clear idea about what he thinks voters should view as a red flag.

“We have to look at laws and any law that increases taxes, increases the tax burden, hurts people, needs to be rejected,” he said. “And we should only look at laws that provide tax relief. Any law that makes it harder for business to hire people, to invest in Illinois, to grow their business needs to be rejected.”

The only three states where legislators earn more are New York, California and Pennsylvania. The lowest paid state legislators are in New Hampshire where the NCSL says legislators receive an annual salary of $100.