Former Illinois Lawmaker Sues Over Pay Raises

A lot of former Illinois lawmakers may see a pay raise. Former Republican state Rep. Mike Fortner yesterday filed a class action lawsuit to get hundreds of lawmakers a little bit extra. Fortner is challenging 10 laws passed between July 2009 to January 2019 that reduced lawmaker pay, or eliminated automatic cost of living increases. Illinois’ constitution is clear, as lawmaker salaries cannot be cut while those lawmakers are in the middle of a term. In all, Fortner’s lawsuit could lead to former lawmakers sharing about 14-million-dollars in back-pay. Two former Democratic lawmakers won a similar case back in April.