Madison County Circuit Judge Amy Sholar announced on Tuesday that she has permanently declined joining the Illinois Judge’s Retirement Pension System.
"I wanted to send a clear message that I accepted the appointment as Madison County Circuit Court Judge to help people and interpret the law fairly for everyone,” Sholar stated in a release.
Circuit judges in Illinois earn $178,835 annually. According to Sholar's release, retired Illinois judges have an average pension of around $146,000 annually.
Sholar said she made the decision to avoid dipping into the already debt-ridden state pension program unnecessarily.
“I know that everyone may not understand this decision, but it’s a matter of principle," Sholar said. "It’s no secret that we have a pension system in Illinois that is clearly broken and anything that I can do as an individual to help not be a burden on that system, felt like the responsible thing to do.”
Sholar, a Republican, is seeking election next year to the seat she currently holds by appointment.
In April, the Illinois Supreme Court confirmed Sholar to a vacancy created by the retirement of circuit judge Richard Tognarelli. Supreme Court Justice David Overstreet, who recommended Sholar's appointment to the full court, swore her in on April 30.
The seat Sholar occupies is a "resident" circuit judgeship in the Third Judicial District, comprised of Madison and Bond counties. Only Madison County voters will decide the race.
Sholar’s announced decision to reject a state pension comes as the S&P Global Ratings adjusted Illinois’ bond rating for the first time in 25 years, but with harsh criticism of how Illinois handles its public pension funds, according to the release.
In the release, Sholar echoes concerns repeated by the Illinois Policy Institute, which has analyzed the state's pension debt as worst in the nation.
"Illinois reportedly owes roughly $144.2 billion in net pension debt and that number is estimated to continue rising due to state population decline and increasing costs for benefits," the Sholar release states.
Before her appointment to the bench, Sholar had 19 years courtroom experience. She was founding partner of Sholar Stephan Law, where she primarily focused on matters of domestic litigation. She served as court-appointed guardian ad litem in many Madison County custody cases. Before opening her own law firm, she served as planning coordinator for the City of Alton.
Sholar earned her bachelor of arts degree from Southern Illinois University and her juris doctor from Saint Louis University School of Law.