Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, whose office is responsible for issuing paychecks to lawmakers, said after the ruling Thursday that she instructed her staff to begin doing so immediately and that lawmakers with direct deposit would get paid by Friday. But Quinn said he planned to appeal to a higher court, filed a stay Thursday afternoon and his attorneys were due in court Friday morning on the issue.

"The reason I suspended legislative paychecks in the first place — and refused to accept my own — is because Illinois taxpayers can't afford an endless cycle of promises, excuses, delays and inertia on the most critical challenge of our time," Quinn said in a statement. "Nobody in Springfield should get paid until the pension reform job gets done."

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Neil Cohen issued his eight-page decision in a lawsuit brought by Chicago Democrats, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton. Cohen said Quinn did not have the power to withhold pay while lawmakers were serving their current terms and ordered Topinka to restore salaries with interest.