In the News

Des Plaines Journal, May 14, 2008

"I'm a big girl, I can stand up to the Ricky Hendons of the world," said State Sen. Susan Garrett (D-29th).

Assistant Senate Majority Leader Hendon (D-5th) recently slammed Garrett for opposing a pay raise for lawmakers that would see state legislators' salaries increase by $7,000 to almost $73,000 and legislative leaders pay hiked to $102,500.

Calling Garrett from "richville," Hendon told major media outlets, "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 went on to comment on the size of Garrett's house.

Raises recommended from a state compensation committee would go into effect unless the Illinois House and Senate pass identical bills opposing them.

The House passed that bill last week and Garrett recently introduced a bill opposing the raises in the State Senate.

Garrett, who lives in Lake Forest, laughed off Hendon's comments calling them "a distraction."

"We should be concentrating on a budget rather than slamming someone who disagrees with them on a pay raise," said Garrett.

Garrett said under normal circumstances legislators would be working on the state's budget, having an initial budget passed by Saturday, May 31. Garrett said little work has been done on that spending package.

"The pay raise is a defining moment for legislators. When they see us trying to give ourselves a raise in these kinds of economic conditions they are aghast," said Garrett.

"People have had it," she continued. "People may not understand the capital infrastructure bill or the Medicaid bill, but they understand we're in a fanatical pinch and they understand were giving ourselves a pay raise."

Garrett said she received about 100 calls and e-mails in one day after the Hendon story broke last week. She said her constituents called Hendon's remarks, "unbelievable."

State Rep. Sidney Mathias (R-53rd), who voted against the raises in the House said, "At a time when hardworking families are paying a lot more for groceries, when gas is rapidly approaching $4 a gallon, at a time when skyrocketing utility costs and property taxes are making it harder than ever for families to make ends meet, we need to keep our priorities in the right place."

Mathias said rather than giving lawmakers a pay raise, legislation should be enacted to provide a sales tax holiday over the Memorial Day weekend and a suspension of the state's gas tax over the summer.

State Rep. Elaine Nekritz (D-57th), who voted against the raises in the House, said another option to stop the raises if they are not stopped in the Senate would be to stop the appropriation of the money for the raises themselves.

Garrett rejected that idea, saying that while it might work, chances are that the appropriation would be folded into a larger budget bill that may have many other positive elements legislators would not want to vote against.

Area legislators including State Rep. Elizabeth Coulson (R-17th), and Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-33rd) also oppose the raise.

Garrett donated the proceeds from a raise legislators received last year to the North Shore Special Education Dist. while Kotowski put money into a special scholarship fund.