Hatcher: 'Political Grandstanding' over Legislative Pay 'Pathetic'

Earlier this week, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton filed a lawsuit over Gov. Pat Quinn's decision to withhold lawmakers' paychecks until they send him a proposal to revamp the state's broken government worker pension system.

The suit, filed on Tuesday, compares Quinn to jailed former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who in 2003 tried to reduce salaries of Illinois judges, only to be rebuffed by the Illinois Supreme Court.

In a statement, the governor called the lawsuit "just plain wrong."Read the full text of the lawsuit here.

Asked for his take on Quinn's decision, State Rep. Tom Cross, R-Oswego, responded with a brief statement: “While there may be a legitimate separation of power issue, we need to make sure that we remain focused on what must be our top priority — finding a solution to our pension crisis."

State Rep. Kay Hatcher, who announced this week she will not seek re-election next year, called the situation sad.

"The issue is about both the sovereignty and interaction between the House, the Senate and the Governor. I think it's pathetic that political grandstanding has to be played out in the courts. "

As of Aug. 1, legislators had stopped receiving paychecks. A hearing in the Madigan/Cullerton lawsuit is scheduled for November.

According to Quinn, the move to cut legislative salaries slashed $14 million from the state budget.

Is the governor right to withhold legislators' paychecks? Where do you stand on the issue? Tell us in the comments.