Righter Opposes Pay Increases Within State Agencies

The Illinois Senate voted Wednesday morning to pass a measure that authorizes an increase in salaries for agency officials who will be serving in the new Pritzker Administration.

State Sen. Dale Righter (R-Mattoon), who opposed the pay increase, issued the following statement in response to the passage of Senate Bill 3531:

“Sadly, the last action taken by the Democrat-controlled Senate in the 100th General Assembly was to allow for newly-appointed officials within state agencies to receive up to 15 percent raises,” said Sen. Righter. “The reality is, Illinois’ poor fiscal situation reflects what happens as a direct result of decades of wasteful and irresponsible spending practices. Let’s hope that this last-minute action is not an indicator of how the new General Assembly will operate. To help our state move forward, we need to work together and implement key reforms to improve our economy—not push through another measure that only increases the costs within our state agencies.”

Senate Bill 3531 passed out of the Senate by a vote of 33 to 21. Already approved by a House vote of 68-37-2 on Tuesday, the measure will be sent to the Governor’s desk for further consideration.