Gov. Quinn suspends lawmaker pay until Illinois pension reform finalized

July 10, 2013 (SPRINGFIELD, Ill.) (WLS) -- If Governor Pat Quinn has his way, Illinois lawmakers will not get their next paycheck if they don't act on pension reform.

Quinn suspended their salaries and his own today but the state comptroller wants to make sure that's legal before stopping payment.

''I've tried everything in the book to get their attention,'' Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn said after announcing he will suspend pay for lawmakers due to their inaction on pension reform.

For more than two years now, Gov. Quinn has been setting deadlines and demanding action on pension reform from the legislature. Time and time again: they ignored him. His latest plan to get their attention may make headlines, but some say it's simply not legal.

$5,653. That's how much each legislator stands to lose August 1st if their monthly paycheck is postponed.

"Every time they've blown a deadline the taxpayers have paid. Now it's time for legislators to understand they'll have to pay until they act," said Gov. Quinn.

Describing it as a wakeup call for the Illinois General Assembly, Quinn lifted the line item he vetoed. Now, lawmakers won't get their paychecks at the end of this month.

"They must have that alarm bell ringing in their ears. And the best way to do that is to hit them in the wallet," Quinn said.

A bill on Quinn's desk gives the Illinois comptroller the ability to issue paychecks to state employees.

"While I understand and appreciate the Governor's focus on pension reform, real questions have been raised about the legality of his action. Specifically, Section 11 of our State Constitution states that 'changes in the salary of a member shall not take effect during the term for which he has been elected,'" Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka said in a statement. Topinka said she has requested a legal review, which would be completed before lawmakers receive their next paycheck on August 1, 2013.

State representatives and senators' annual base pay is just under $68,000 plus stipends for many. Their house-senate conference committee did not present a pension reform bill at Tuesday's special session as the governor had demanded.

"I think it's a bad precedent to get into, to start punishing any government employee with their paychecks," Senator Kirk Dillard, (R) Hinsdale, said.

"That's a childish game of tit for tat, particularly when you know the deadline you set was impractical," Senator Kwame Raoul, (D) Chicago, said.

"At a time when we need leadership from the governor, we get another political stunt," Senator Matt Murphy, (R) Palatine, said.

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan released a statement Wednesday, "The Governor's decision follows my efforts and I understand his frustration. I am hopeful his strategy works."

"I really feel this is the leverage the taxpayers need in order to get this done," Quinn said.

The state's worst-in-the-nation pension debt is nearing $100 billion in unfunded pension liability because lawmakers either skipped or shorted payments to the state's five retirement systems for decades. Inaction on solving the problem has led to repeated credit rating downgrades as well as a national embarrassment. Political science Paul Green of Roosevelt University says the payroll stop will worsen relations but not speed a solution.

"I don't think it's going to make a bit of difference. It just simply rubs salt on a wound that shouldn't be there," Prof. Green said.

The General Assembly could return to Springfield at any time to override the governor's veto to restore their paychecks. But Governor Quinn bets that would be a political disaster for lawmakers to call themselves back to refund their pay, but not deal with the debt, which is estimated to grow at $5 million a day.

"Anyone who--in the legislature--who would thumb their nose at the taxpayers is making a big mistake," Quinn said.

Quinn also said he will not accept his salary until the General Assembly sends him a comprehensive pension reform solution.