Bruce Rauner in 2015 Governor's State of the State speeches

On Civil Rights: Create minority enterprise small business investment program

Too many people in our communities must overcome not only hurdles that state government has put in place, but also decades of hidden barriers that have caused their communities to suffer. Approximately 80% of individuals in Illinois apprenticeship programs are white even though Caucasians make up fewer than 63% of our population. Whatever the reason for this disparity, it has gone on for too long, and we must take specific, positive action to end this unfair situation.

We should require unions that contract with the state to have their apprenticeship programs reflect the demographics of Illinois communities, and to have their membership on public construction projects reflect the diversity in the surrounding area. And we should create a Minority Enterprise Small Business Investment Program to assist minority entrepreneurs in startups throughout Illinois.

Source: State of the State address to 2015 Illinois Legislature Feb 4, 2015

On Jobs: Raise minimum wage to $10 an hour over the next 7 years

We must help those workers who are barely getting by, by raising the minimum wage. Our Economic Growth and Jobs Package increases the minimum wage to $10 an hour over the next 7 years.

Raising the minimum wage in conjunction with improving the overall jobs climate, will make Illinois more competitive and create a booming economy while increasing incomes for hardworking Illinoisans.

Source: State of the State address to 2015 Illinois Legislature Feb 4, 2015

On Principles & Values: Moral duty to serve long-term interest of people of Illinois

Last November, voters made it clear they want bipartisan government. They want a government where people come together to solve problems and get things done. They don't want partisan bickering, political infighting or personal conflict to get in the way of serving the needs of the families of Illinois.

All of us were elected to do a job; to deliver real results; to serve the people of Illinois to the best of our ability. The good Lord didn't make us Republicans or Democrats. He made us in His image to do His work, to help each other, to make the world a better place. We all have a moral duty to serve the long-term interests of the people of Illinois--to focus on the next generation, not the next election.

Together, we will do great things for the people of Illinois. We will once again make Illinois the greatest state in the greatest nation on earth.

Source: State of the State address to 2015 Illinois Legislature Feb 4, 2015

On Technology: Competitive bidding at Department of Transportation

Our agenda must be about empowerment, about empowering the people of Illinois to control their futures. Empowerment means giving local voters the ability to control the collective bargaining issues in their local governments. Empowerment means giving governments the ability to lower costs by reforming project labor agreements and prevailing wage requirements that block true competitive bidding. These requirements can increase the cost of taxpayer-funded construction projects by 20%.

At the Illinois Tollway, uncompetitive bidding has cost toll payers over $1 billion since 2005. At the Department of Transportation, uncompetitive bidding costs taxpayers more than $100 million per year.

Reforming the prevailing wage laws could save our schools nearly $160 million every year. We must restructure bidding for construction projects at every level of government because reforms will save taxpayers billions--and we can reinvest these billions in even more capital projects to help our communities.

Source: State of the State address to 2015 Illinois Legislature Feb 4, 2015

The above quotations are from 2015 Governor's State of the State speeches. Click here for other excerpts from 2015 Governor's State of the State speeches. Click here for other excerpts by Bruce Rauner. Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.
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Page last updated: Dec 07, 2018