By Illinois Review
Illinois State Rep. Norine Hammond, the House Deputy Minority Leader, continues to collect $109,500 a year in taxpayer-funded salary – nearly double the median household income in her district – while repeatedly refusing to appear at public events and distancing herself from the conservative values of the voters she represents.
Hammond receives a $98,000 base salary plus an $11,500 leadership stipend, giving her a paycheck 1.7 times higher than the $64,606 median household income in House District 94.
For context, lawmakers may also receive $178 per diem reimbursements and mileage on session days, though these are separate from fixed salary. All of this is for a legislature that meets around 70 days a year, making Hammond one of the highest-paid part-time state legislators in the nation.
When those per diems are included, Hammond’s annual taxpayer-funded compensation rises to approximately $121,960 per year.
Despite this generous compensation, “No Show” Norine Hammond has been largely absent from district-facing responsibilities. Earlier this week, she skipped a local GOP State Central Committee candidate forum in her own hometown – an event attended by more than 120 local Republicans. Instead of meeting with her constituents, Hammond traveled hours away to attend a banquet that included Democratic lawmakers.
The missed forum is not an isolated event. Constituents say Hammond has been difficult to reach for months, despite earning a taxpayer-funded salary far above the people she is elected to serve.
Hammond has also drawn backlash for voting with Democrats to expand transgender patient rights, a move that stunned many in her solidly conservative district. Her voting record has now placed her among the least conservative Republicans in the state.
That assessment was reinforced by the American Conservative Union Foundation’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) – one of the most influential conservative organizations in the country, widely known for its strong support of President Donald Trump, the late Charlie Kirk, and other leading national conservatives.
In its 2024 legislative scorecard, CPAC awarded Hammond an “F” grade, citing key votes where she sided with Democrats instead of conservative positions.
Ethics questions continue to trail Hammond as well. She was previously tied to “PillowGate,” involving her simultaneous role as a legislator and an officer of a private business that receives revenue from state-related work. That same company was paid to decorate Hammond’s own leadership office at the State Capitol, raising concerns about self-dealing, conflicts of interest, and the use of public office to benefit a private enterprise. Watchdogs say the overlap between her public duties and private business interests warrants closer examination.
For residents of District 94 – many of whom work far longer hours for far less pay – these issues have sharpened scrutiny of Hammond’s priorities, influence, and attendance record.
Hammond is up for re-election in the March Republican primary, where voters will decide whether her salary, voting record, and public absences reflect the leadership they want moving forward.
