Carbondale Reporter

In a Jan. 9 Facebook post, Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) reacted to the passage of a supplemental budget that gives raises to lawmakers and other government officials.

“Outrageous for legislators to raise their own pay in this economy,” she wrote on Facebook.

In her Facebook post, Bryant shared a link to a press release where she issued a statement: “Legislators voting to increase their salaries is a complete and utter insult to each and every Illinoisan who is struggling to keep up with rising energy bills and putting food on their table. “By voting to increase their salaries by roughly $12,000, the Majority Party has made it clear to the people of our state that their own personal interests are more important than their struggles.”

Senate Bill 1720 was filed by Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) on Jan. 6. It laid out increases in pay for the heads of several departments, including the Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Aging, Department of Agriculture and others.

NPR Illinois reported that the Governor, Lt. Governor, Comptroller and Treasurer will all see pay increases with passage of this bill. "Under the pay schedules outlined in the bill, salaries of the lieutenant governor, comptroller and treasurer would increase from $143,400 to $160,900; and the attorney general’s and secretary of state’s from $165,400 to $183,300."

The State Journal-Register reported that these increases will go into effect for statewide officeholders on Jan. 9, and went into effect on Jan. 4 for legislators.

The bill also included transfer of several hundred thousand dollars to a fund meant to attract businesses to Illinois. Gov. Pritzker has called this a "closing fund," but according to WQAD, "House Majority Leader Greg Harris said last week that the fund would need to be further defined in law before any of the money could be spent.”

In the November election, Bryant ran unopposed.