Illinois Republican Comptroller Leslie Munger recently announced her office will make legislators wait in the growing line of those trying to be paid by the state, which is entering a tenth month without a budget.
Litesa Wallace represents the Rockford-area in the Illinois House. The Democrat took to social media to vent her frustrations with the news. The single mother says her state pay is her only source of income.
Wallace's Facebook posting says the discussion surrounding the announcement doesn’t reflect the nuances of full-time legislators who are single heads of household or the primary breadwinner in their families.
“I’ll continue to stand with those individuals who need state assistance the most—our seniors, our disabled, our children," Wallace said. "I’ll continue to stand for them, and I will do what’s best in terms of my own personal finances to make sure that my son and I are okay as well.”
Comptroller Munger says the action is not meant to be “punitive” and says the state’s finances are that tight.
The governor and legislative leaders remain split on how to agree on a state budget.
- Illinois Public Radio's Sarah Mueller contributed to this report
