Judge Blocks Ill. Governor's Attempt to Stop Lawmakers' Pay

Unconstitutional actions to force legislators to deal with pension crisis

A Cook County judge is denying Gov. Pat Quinn's request to stop paychecks from being issued to lawmakers while a lawsuit is appealed.

Judge Neil Cohen says Quinn violated the state constitution by withholding the checks for two months because legislators hadn't addressed the state's pension crisis.

Lawyers were in Cook County court Friday, a day after a judge ordered Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka to immediately pay legislators the paychecks they've missed since the governor's July veto.