Bryant Sponsors Bill to Keep Paying State Employees

Murphysboro….State Representative Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) joined several of her colleagues yesterday in signing on to a bill that would ensure state employees continue to be paid on time and in full for their service to the state of Illinois.

Under HB 1787, a continuing appropriation would be created to ensure employees receive a paycheck while a state budget is not in place.

“We’re at an awfully delicate time in our state’s history. Now is not the time to blow things up by taking away state employee paychecks,” Bryant said. “I strongly disagree with Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Comptroller Mendoza for supporting the motion to stop paying folks that provide vital services to our citizens. I am sponsoring this legislation to take employees off the political chessboard and get them their well-earned paychecks.”

HB 1787 was filed with the House Clerk on February 1. Bryant says she’s hopeful Speaker Madigan will let the bill out of the Rules Committee for a fair hearing.

“We’ll see if the Speaker and House Democrats are serious about governing responsibly,” Bryant said. “This is their opportunity to join Republicans in making state employee paychecks a priority. Too much harm can be done to our communities if our workers aren’t being paid. We need to move fast on this bill. I’ll be working the other side of the aisle very hard to gain their support.”

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