Con Con Considerations: Compensation

Cross posted from ICPR's blog, The Race is On:

The November ballot will ask voters whether Illinois should have a Constitutional Convention. A Constitutional Convention would be authorized to review any portion of Illinois' Constitution they wanted to -- and to propose an entirely new document, amendments to existing provisions, or additions of new materials.

But the Constitution also leaves much to the General Assembly to determine. Others have taken a position on whether or not there should be a Convention, and even on what issues a Convention should address if it is called. This page is less interested in what a Convention might accomplish as in how it might work.

Seventh in a series

How Should Delegates (and Staff) be Compensated?

The constitution directs the General Assembly to "fix and provide for the pay of the delegates and officers" of a Convention, and to provide for "expenses necessarily incurred." And that is all, except that it isn't. How much should delegates be paid? Should they be paid a salary or a per diem, or both? Should service at a Convention count towards a state pension, and if so, in which system? Should payments received as a delegate affect the amount of one's pension, if a delegate is already vested? And what of staff? What kind of staff should be provided to delegates, who should manage the staff, and should their service count towards pensions, too? Who should determine staff salaries, manage any grievances that may arise, and assure that any open government laws that may apply are followed?

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