Rep. Lindsay Parkhurst (R-Kankakee) is happy to say she won't be paid any more this year than she was last year, according to a press release.
Parkhurst was a sponsor of House Bill 643, which has been signed into law and blocks a cost-of-living annual (COLA) increase for state lawmakers. It also maintains the current per diem and travel reimbursements.
"The General Assembly acted wisely to eliminate the automatic COLA,” Parkhurst said in the statement. “Our state may have a budget, but the financial crisis has not ended. Legislators do not need a pay increase and certainly haven’t earned one after passing a 32% tax increase on to the people of Illinois.
Rep. Lindsay Parkhurst (R-Kankakee)
Lawmakers, judges and constitutional officer salaries get automatic COLAs unless blocked by legislation such as HB643. The General Assembly has blocked the hikes for the past two fiscal years.
“I co-sponsored this bill because I believe as long as Illinois has a budget deficit with billions in unpaid bills, legislators do not need to add to the problem," Parkhurst said.
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