State budget does not include pay raise for lawmakers

In such stressful and confusing times, people need to hear the straight truth from our elected leaders - so both Republicans and Democrats should acknowledge the fact that, despite what some partisans have claimed, there is simply no pay raise for lawmakers in the state budget. Period.

As a House budget negotiator, I worked over the past weeks to create a state budget that reflects our most pressing needs as we face an unprecedented crisis. That means increased funding for COVID-19 testing and local public health services, unemployment benefits and job training for people facing layoffs and furloughs, and resources for small businesses.

It was also our clear intent to freeze lawmakers' pay. The state budget says in no uncertain terms that we appropriate $0 for cost of living adjustments for legislators - zero.

In recent years, court cases initiated by former lawmakers have left legislators unable to lower their own pay in the middle of a term. While in the past, legislators of both parties led by example by voting for furloughs for all legislators, the rulings in these lawsuits have prohibited such action this year. Despite these rulings, we felt it was important to devote finite taxpayer resources to critical services for our communities - not pay raises for elected officials.

In response to our budget that appropriates $0 for cost-of-living adjustments, the comptroller has stated clearly that she will not be paying any raises to lawmakers, just as we intended. My time as a legislator, as the chair of an appropriations committee and as a budget negotiator have shown me the comptroller's decisions are made deliberately. This comptroller will follow through on her word to pay no raises.

Nonetheless, some Republican legislators and their cheerleaders have either misread what is written in this budget in black and white or have started their election season games early in an attempt to mislead people who deserve to hear the honest truth.

But the truth doesn't reflect well on those Republican lawmakers, who last week said no to the critical resources our nurses and first responders need to combat this virus and keep themselves safe. They cannot honestly explain to the people in our communities who are facing such pain and uncertainty that they said no to much-needed unemployment services and mortgage relief for those struggling with the looming prospect of a nationwide recession; that they said no to a lifesaving expansion of in-home health care for seniors; that they said no to additional PPE to protect nursing home residents and staff; that they said no to the tools small businesses need to weather this storm and reopen safely.

The needs of our communities are great, and the challenges we face are still significant, so we cannot let manufactured outrage distract us from the truth: There were no votes to raise politicians' pay last week. There were only votes to provide relief for the people who need it most, and desperate spin from those who said no.

• State Rep. Fred Crespo, a Democrat from Hoffman Estates, is Illinois House assistant majority leader.