Comptroller Leslie Munger announced that paychecks will be delayed for members of Illinois’ General Assembly and Constitutional Officers because of the state’s $7.8 billion bill backlog Sunday.

The six Constitutional Officers and 177 General Assembly members have a total salary of $1.3 million a month, or $15.6 million a year. Elected leaders are usually paid on the last day of the month, and while Munger’s office will still process vouchers monthly, warrants will then wait in a line with other payments before being released when cash is available.

Illinois is currently in its 10th month of operating without a budget, leaving higher education, social service organizations and more waiting on payments from the state.

At this point, the state has been paying bills with Court Orders, Consent Decrees and statutory authorizations and as a result, the state is expected to be in a $6.2 billion financial hole this year.

In a press release, Munger said because of the budget impasse, the social service network is being dismantled, mass layoffs are occurring and small businesses across Illinois are waiting to be paid for services they have already provided.

“As our cash crunch grows in the coming months, it is only appropriate that the unfair prioritization of payments to elected leaders ends. We are all in this together, we all will wait in line,” Munger said.

Munger said delaying these paychecks is the right thing to do.

“If this action helps bring all sides together to pass a balanced budget and end this unnecessary and devastating hardship to our state, that is an added benefit,” Munger said. “Illinois needs a balanced budget. It is well past time that we get it done.”

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.