Bill Text: IL HJR0082 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Rejects all backpay and all compensation for furlough days taken from 2009 through 2016.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-10-28 - Referred to Rules Committee [HJR0082 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2019-HJR0082-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, Illinois law provides that members of the General | ||||||
3 | Assembly will receive automatic cost of living pay increases | ||||||
4 | every year unless the General Assembly votes to reject those | ||||||
5 | pay raises; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Pay for legislators was frozen from 2009 through | ||||||
7 | 2016; and
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8 | WHEREAS, Two former lawmakers filed a lawsuit demanding | ||||||
9 | back pay for lost wages during the time legislative pay was | ||||||
10 | frozen; and
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11 | WHEREAS, Their lawsuit also demanded backpay for furlough | ||||||
12 | days the General Assembly voluntarily accepted during one of | ||||||
13 | the worst financial crises the State has experienced to date; | ||||||
14 | and
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15 | WHEREAS, A Cook County judge has ruled that the pay freeze | ||||||
16 | from 2009 through 2016 is unconstitutional; and
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17 | WHEREAS, We support the efforts of the Illinois Comptroller | ||||||
18 | and the Illinois Attorney General to appeal this court | ||||||
19 | decision; and
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1 | WHEREAS, Pending the outcome of further legal action | ||||||
2 | through the appeals process, lawmakers who were active members | ||||||
3 | of the Illinois General Assembly from 2009 through 2016 may be | ||||||
4 | in line to receive upwards of $13 million in backpay from the | ||||||
5 | State of Illinois; and
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6 | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois may also be forced to pay | ||||||
7 | substantial interest penalties on the backpay depending on the | ||||||
8 | final outcome of the appeals process; and
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9 | WHEREAS, The backpay would substantially increase | ||||||
10 | retirement benefits for legislators as any legislator retiring | ||||||
11 | in 2020 at age 60 would receive more than $375,000 in | ||||||
12 | additional pension benefits during the course of his or her | ||||||
13 | retirement if his or her base salary is increased to $81,700; | ||||||
14 | and
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15 | WHEREAS, Article II, Section 1 of the Illinois Constitution | ||||||
16 | states: "The legislative, executive and judicial branches are | ||||||
17 | separate. No branch shall exercise powers properly belonging
to | ||||||
18 | another."; and
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19 | WHEREAS, The legislative branch of government is a separate | ||||||
20 | branch of government and can decide for itself whether to | ||||||
21 | accept or reject pay raises; therefore, be it
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1 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
2 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | ||||||
3 | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that as a separate and co-equal | ||||||
4 | branch of Illinois government along with the executive and | ||||||
5 | judicial branches, we, as members of the Illinois General | ||||||
6 | Assembly, have the authority to decide our own pay; and be it | ||||||
7 | further
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8 | RESOLVED, That we reject all backpay and all compensation | ||||||
9 | for furlough days taken from 2009 through 2016; and be it | ||||||
10 | further
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11 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
12 | delivered to all Illinois constitutional officers, the Speaker | ||||||
13 | and Minority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives, | ||||||
14 | and the President and Minority Leader of the Illinois Senate.
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