How About The Leaders Not Get Paid When The Budget Is Late?

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 07/01/2026) Lawmakers were unable to meet their statutory July 1 deadline to get the budget done and Rep. Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park) wants to do something about it going forward.

Under Weiss's HJR Y, if the School Aid Fund budget isn't passed by July 1, the House speaker, Senate majority leader and the governor can't be paid until it is. Also, the measure creates a seven-day public review period for the School Aid budget and a one-day review period for amendments.

Last year when the Legislature went past the constitutional deadline, Weiss said, conversations centered around potentially docking legislative pay, something she says she thinks the public hears and believes makes sense.

“The problem is that a lot of these decisions are being made at the very top, very critical,” Weiss said. “We're not even pulled into these discussions. A lot of us don't even actually get to see the budget that we're voting on until maybe an hour before we're voting on it.

She said holding pay for the governor, Senate majority leader and House speaker because, “these are the three people who are really deciding whether we're moving a budget or not.”

It would also add requirements around posting the documents for the public a week before a vote and any amendments 24 hours before a vote.

“Ideally, the legislators who are voting on it can see it and review it,” Weiss said. “But also the general public stakeholders can also see what's in the budget before we vote on it, so we're not just making decisions at 3 a.m. off of budget documents, we've had maybe 20 minutes to look over.”

Weiss said that she thinks there are certainly members who would be supportive on both sides of the aisle, though she expressed concern that House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) wouldn't put the resolution on the board.

“We don't know if we're going to be voting on our budget tomorrow, Friday, Saturday,” Weiss said. “We're hearing lots of rumors swirling around. If we’re even going to get it done this week at all. We really don't know that at this point, and frankly, it is unacceptable to go through two years in a row without having a budget done on time when districts are having to plan right now for making critical staffing decisions.”