By AP/KWMU
Springfield, Ill. – Illinois lawmakers are giving themselves an early holiday present: A pay raise. A vote Thursday in the Illinois Senate sealed the deal.
Raises of 9.6% are supposed to take effect next year when the governor, lawmakers and other top officials begin their new terms. It would be their first increase in five years.
Some officials, including the governor, say they won't accept the extra money.
Their paychecks won't actually increase until lawmakers allocate an estimated $4 million to pay for the new raises. That could happen later this month or early next year.
An effort to block the raises failed in the Senate. It needed 30 votes but got only 25.