While it amounts to just a tiny drop into a very deep bucket, we have to commend Illinois lawmakers who are giving up their state pensions.

Members of the General Assembly can participate in the state-subsidized pension system, which allows lawmakers to contribute 11.5 percent of their salary. Depending on length of service, those contributions can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in pension payments.

About two dozen General Assembly members have said they are forgoing participation in the state’s pension system. That includes Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, and Sen. Karen McConnaughay, R-South Elgin.