Attorney General Lisa Madigan is appealing to the Illinois Supreme Court to take up the issue of whether state employee paydays can continue without a state budget. Madigan filed a motion yesterday asking the state's high court to quickly take up the issue, bypassing a ruling from the state appellate court. State workers have continued to be paid even without a state budget because of a preliminary injunction issued in 2015 by a St. Clair County judge.
Last year, though, the state Supreme Court ruled in a separate case that state workers owed previously denied wage increases could not be paid without an appropriation in place. Madigan said the original court ruling has enabled Gov. Bruce Rauner and the General Assembly to avoid passing a budget
Republicans feel that a possible way to solve this is a bill sponsored by House Republican Avery Bourne. She is backing a bill that creates a continuing appropriation for state worker pay.
State lawmakers and Judges are paid on a continuing basis. But right now lawmaker pay has been sent in line with every other state bill and lawmakers are waiting months to be paid.
