August
26, 2016
To
the Honorable Members of
The
Illinois House of Representatives,
99th
General Assembly:
Today I return
House Bill 5931, which would require an immediate 40% increase in
taxpayer-funded wages for certain professionals, but without providing any
funding.
We
should first acknowledge the difficult and important work of these
professionals, who assist persons with intellectual and development
disabilities in residential and day programs. Many of these professionals have
not had a wage increase in years. I am open to finding a responsible way to
increase wages for these professionals, but unfortunately this bill is not the
answer.
The
national average hourly wage for these workers is $10.71, in line with current
Illinois wages. House Bill 5931 would immediately increase the Illinois wage to
$15.00 per hour, significantly above the national average. The bill would
increase the cost of caring for people with development disabilities by $330
million per year, of which Illinois taxpayers would be required to pay at least
half. The bill does not provide any mechanism for funding this additional cost.
We
should work together to pass a balanced budget. In that context, we can examine
savings, program changes, or funding sources that could enable us to better use
taxpayer dollars for this and other priorities. Through such a process, we can
find the appropriate and affordable way to fund an increase in wages. But
until then, it would be fiscally irresponsible to commit the State to payments
for which it has no available funding.
Therefore,
pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I
hereby return House Bill 5931, entitled “AN ACT concerning State government”,
with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.
Sincerely,
Bruce
Rauner
GOVERNOR