Are Illinois Supreme Court justices overpaid? That’s the question one state senator had for a court representative during a committee hearing last week.

North Aurora Republican state Senator Jim Oberweis said a recent report from The National Center for State Courts indicates Illinois’ Supreme Court justices, at nearly $221,000 a year, are the second highest paid in the country.

Michael Tardy, director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, said because Illinois is the fifth most populous state, he believes compensation levels for justices are appropriate.

Oberweis asked Tardy whether justices, as state employees, have a conflict of interest when they rule on issues regarding state employee pay and benefits. Tardy said he wasn’t qualified to comment on that matter.