Illinois’ fiscal situation is hitting state legislators in their wallets. They’ll finally be paid Tuesday for work done in May.
Illinois owes $8 billion, but it doesn’t have the money to pay right away.
That whopping backlog is hard to put in perspective.
But maybe not for legislators, who are only getting paid once that monthly expense reaches the top of the stack of overdue bills. Paying all 177 of them runs Illinois more than $1.1 million each month.
Better late than never. Legislators will get their annual salary of at least $67,000 a year.
But having to wait several months for a paycheck has been a struggle for legislators who aren’t independently wealthy, and who don’t have jobs outside the General Assembly. Some have borrowed money, including from their campaign accounts; one legislator is driving for the ride service Uber.
They’re going through what companies and social service agencies with state contracts have been experiencing for years. Some shut down waiting on the state to make good on its contracts.
A spokesman for Comptroller Leslie Munger says he expects legislators' next paychecks, for June, will go out in October.
