Stuart Fights to Close Legislator Pay Loophole

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – To strengthen ethical standards in state government, state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, recently introduced a bill that would end exit bonuses for legislators, prohibiting departing lawmakers from receiving a full month’s pay for serving as little as one day.

“Elected officials should only be paid for the days they actually work, which is what workers in most other professions can expect,” said Stuart. “A loophole in current law allows legislators to take a full month’s pay, even if they resign at the beginning of the month. This practice has been abused too many times and is both unfair and costly to taxpayers.”

Stuart introduced House Bill 3104, which changes the legislative pay schedule to prorate lawmakers’ salaries. Under the current pay structure, lawmakers can claim payment for an entire month of work, even if they only worked one day.

“I frequently hear from residents who want to make state government more transparent and ethical, and I agree with them,” continued Stuart. “Politicians should not get special perks, and my bill helps save the state money and while also setting higher ethical standards for officeholders.”