SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – They were apparently against it, before they were for it, and the Illinois Supreme Court took notice.
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled against former Democrat State Senators James Clayborne of Belleville and Michael Noland of Elgin, denying them back pay they voted against, but sued to try and get back anyway.
“They would pontificate on the Senate floor about how noble they were, and how this was the right thing to do,” said Susana Mendoza, Illinois Comptroller, also a Democrat. “They used this argument in their reelection pieces — only to, when they retired from office, turn around and sue me, and — by extension, you, the taxpayer — for their money back.”
The justices ruled 6-0 that the lawmakers can’t now challenge the reductions they originally voted for.
“These were two guys that, year after year, had voted to not accept a pay raise,” said Mendoza. “So, it was really the height of hypocrisy and shamelessness. I fought this tooth and nail. We won at the Supreme Court level. Today is a great day for taxpayers.”
Lawmakers otherwise automatically get cost of living adjustments in their annual salaries, unless they vote legislatively to reject them. Mendoza says if the state had lost the lawsuit, the back pay for all state lawmakers would have topped $10 million.
CLICK HERE to read the ruling (PDF document).
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