Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn intends to appeal a Cook County judge's decision that the governor's move in July to suspend legislators' pay until pension reform legislation is passed was unconstitutional.
House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton had filed a lawsuit challenging the move by the governor. In its decision Thursday, the court ordered Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka to pay salaries of General Assembly members immediately.
“The reason I suspended legislative paychecks in the first place — and refused to accept my own — is because Illinois taxpayers can't afford an endless cycle of promises, excuses, delays and inertia on the most critical challenge of our time,” Mr. Quinn said in a news release.
Mr. Quinn said in the release he will seek a court stay to prevent issuing paychecks “until this case is considered by a higher court.”
Illinois has the worst funded state pension plans in the country and has repeatedly failed to enact meaningful reform the last several years.
Members of the General Assembly make a base salary of about $68,000 along with additional stipends.
