EAST DUNDEE – Illinois legislators are the 5th highest paid in the nation and only meet half of the year. Republican candidate for State Representative, Allen Skillicorn proposes “No budget, no pay” legislation to ensure that the General Assembly and Governor pass an annual balanced budget, as required by the state’s Constitution.
Illinois’ Constitution requires a balanced budget be passed every year. If a Constitutionally required balanced budget is not passed the state’s Constitutional Officers and the 177 members of the General Assembly should not be paid their salary.
“In the private sector, we are expected to perform our jobs. If we do not, we should not be compensated. It’s time for politicians to start working for their constituents, not themselves.” Skillicorn continued, “Warren Buffet once said on CNBC he could end the deficit in 5 minutes if he passed a law that said all members of congress are ineligible for reelection if the deficit was greater than 3% of the GDP. Now is the time to do something similar here in Illinois. I cannot make incumbents ineligible for reelection under our constitution, but I can pass a law that says vendors, nonprofits, hospitals, and schools should be paid before politicians that caused the mess are paid. Politicians should be at the back of the line, not the front!”
Currently state law demands that elected officials be paid, but vendors, nonprofits, hospitals, and schools are left in the lurch, waiting 90 days or longer to be paid by the state.
Allen Skillicorn is the Republican nominee for the 66th State House District. The 66th Legislative District represents areas in McHenry and Kane Counties, including Algonquin, Carpentersville, Crystal Lake, East Dundee, Elgin, Huntley, Lake in the Hills, Lakewood, Sleepy Hollow, and West Dundee.