Daily Herald opinion: The astounding raises Democrats just approved for lawmakers - after the election

Wouldn't you have liked a nearly 17% pay raise to start the new year?

That's what majority Democrats in Springfield authorized for themselves and other lawmakers over the weekend.

The measure, which Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Monday morning, was tucked into a much larger budget amendment that included $400 million for attracting business to the state, $460 million for hospitals and $850 million for the "Rainy Day Fund."

It came as a surprise in the waning sessions of the 102nd General Assembly. Today, reelected and new lawmakers will be sworn in as the 103rd General Assembly.

With the raise, the base pay for each of the 59 state senators and 118 state representatives is $85,000 a year. Anyone with extra duties also receives a stipend. Lawmakers also have meal and lodging allowances and are reimbursed for mileage.

And on top of all that, the lawmakers got a 2.4% cost-of-living adjustment in 2021 and 2022 and are scheduled to receive it again in July.

House sponsor Greg Harris, a Chicago Democrat who retired Tuesday, said the measure was necessary to ensure the General Assembly was not "only made up of the wealthy."

"We want people who can run for office, serve their community, but also be able to pay for their family and kids," he said.

It's funny how nobody mentioned insufficient legislator pay during the fall campaign season. Were those photo ops at food pantries and homeless shelters just excuses for destitute lawmakers to avail themselves of charity? How did we miss all the starving politicians in line at the soup kitchen?

Politicians often defend giving themselves raises by arguing that they could make a lot more in the private sector.

You know, where the grass is greener, the benefits are plentiful and the salaries are adjusted for inflation. That utopia where the hours are reasonable and there's no specter of layoffs.

Raise your hand if you'd gladly scrape by on a legislator salary. Are there any altruists out there who'll take a generous state pension for the team? Who will step up to bear the yoke of Cadillac health insurance?

OK, that was snarky, but lawmakers ought to admit they have a pretty sweet deal.

We share the sentiment of Republican Rep. Mark Batinick, who lambasted the raises as "Christmas in January for legislators."

We must note that the bill didn't advance strictly on a party-line vote. These Democrats voted against it and deserve a mention: Sens. Suzy Glowiak Hilton, Michael Hastings, Patrick Joyce, Meg Loughran Cappel, Robert Martwick and Laura Murphy, and Rep. Sue Scherer.

State legislators aren't suffering. Surely the nearly $2.3 million allocated for their raises could be better spent helping Illinoisans who are.