SPRINGFIELD…. At the beginning of the legislative Session,State Representative Mike Marron (R-Fithian) signed on as a co-sponsor to House Bill 2695 along with the entire House Republican Caucus to stop automatic legislative Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs). However, House Democrats refused to allow for a vote on the legislation, and Marron is now calling for Governor Pritzker to veto planned raises for Illinois’ politicians.
The legislative Cost of Living Adjustment or COLA increase is an automatic provision in the Budget each year, unless the General Assembly votes to prohibit it, which is what HB 2695 would have done.
“I am completely adamant that Illinois legislators do not deserve to have a pay increase until we start working together on both sides of the aisle to address our growing pension debt,” said Rep. Marron. “House Republicans have pushed to cancel automatic pay raises for politicians for the last several years. I assumed that the language was going to be removed. Speaker Madigan continues to play these games each year, which gives us such little time to go over the entire bill and is exactly why I did not vote for the budget,” continued Rep. Marron.
Rep. Marron said, “I am pledging right now to donate any increases in my legislative salary to charity.” “I will not continue to let the gamesmanship of the Chicago Democrats go unheard, and I will keep fighting to keep them honest for the 104th District.”