In the News

Alton Telegraph, May 8, 2008

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Democrats got personal Thursday in their dispute over legislative raises, with one state senator calling a colleague "filthy rich" and accusing House members of being hypocritical.

Sen. Rickey Hendon, D-Chicago, said he would try to change House legislation that would keep the raises from taking effect. He promised to push a new version barring raises to any lawmaker who voted against the extra money.

Hendon also pointedly criticized Sen. Susan Garrett, the Lake Forest Democrat who's pushing the Senate to block the raises.

He referred to her as the senator from "Richville" and called her a "millionaire" who doesn't need the raise, suggesting that's why she's willing to forgo it.

"It just blows my mind how the filthy rich are always the ones saying we don't need the raise. No, she don't," Hendon said. He earlier asked Garrett on the Senate floor to sign over her daily expense check to him because "she doesn't need it."

Garrett said the personal comments distract from the issue.

"We're not here to draw distinctions between wealthy legislators and non-wealthy legislators," Garrett said. "We're here to make sure that what we do here in Springfield is aboveboard and the taxpayers are made aware of how we vote on crucial issues such as this."

Senate President Emil Jones took his own jab, saying "I've got to get me some food stamps" as he walked by Garrett as she talked with reporters. Garrett called the remarks "unfortunate" and said lawmakers were engaging in "a masquerade" to avoid an up-or-down vote on the raises.

Lawmakers received about a 10 percent pay increase last year, and the Compensation Review Board has recommended another increase that would boost their base pay by about $7,000 - to nearly $73,000 a year - by next summer. Gov. Rod Blagojevich would see his pay climb by more than $20,000 to about $192,000 a year.

The raises automatically take effect unless legislators in both chambers approve the same resolution to block them. The House has passed such a resolution, leaving the issue in the Senate's hands.

Hendon, who heads the Rules Committee that decides what legislation reaches the Senate floor, said he won't allow a vote on the House resolution in its current form.

Instead, he described a new version that would bar raises for anyone who votes against the money. If that happens, the likely result would be that the two chambers never pass the same legislation and the raises end up taking effect.

Hendon said he's tired of House members voting against the money but then accepting it after the Senate allows the raises to take effect.

"They want to use the Senate and pimp us and they keep taking the money," Hendon said.