J.B. Pritzker in 2019 Governor's State of the State speeches
On Budget & Economy:
Time for honest budgeting instead of game-playing
Illinois has a $3.2 billion budget deficit and a $15 billion debt. Last year the state paid out more than $700 million in late payment penalties, enough to cover free four-year university tuition for more than 12,000 students. Budgeting will not be
done any more by court orders, consent decrees and continuing appropriations but instead by debate and compromise. The budget I present to you today is an honest proposal--the costs are not hidden, the revenues I propose are not out of reach.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to the Illinois legislature
Feb 20, 2019
On Corporations:
State can foster & encourage business in poorer areas
I want downstate Republicans and Democrats to work together with me on a Downstate Revitalization Plan
to encourage the creation of new businesses and jobs and foster the growth of existing ones in struggling communities so they can thrive.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to the Illinois legislature
Feb 20, 2019
On Drugs:
Legal marijuana will raise revenue & create jobs
By legalizing and regulating adult-use cannabis, we will create jobs and bring in $170 million in licensing and other fees in fiscal year 2020. I don't view this issue through a purely financial lens. I think we should take this action for our state
because of the beneficial criminal and social justice implications and the jobs it will create. Like it or not, cannabis is readily available right now. I would rather tax it and regulate it than deny the reality of its use and accessibility.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to the Illinois legislature
Feb 20, 2019
On Education:
Universal preschool is educational priority
Investing in early childhood is the single most important education policy decision government can make, and it has proven to provide a significant return on investment. That's why I'm proposing funding the Early Childhood Block Grant at
$594 million, an increase of $100 million from fiscal year 2019. It will allow us to begin the march toward universal preschool so that every child in Illinois will have a real opportunity to succeed.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to the Illinois legislature
Feb 20, 2019
On Gun Control:
Enforce & enact commonsense gun laws
We will pay for the gun dealer licensing law that I was proud to sign during my first week in office, to take a reasonable step to end the scourge of gun violence in too many of our neighborhoods. We will take a more rigorous approach to getting guns
out of the hands of those who shouldn't have them in the first place. I'm committed to advocating for commonsense gun laws, and I'm committed to making sure that we are implementing the laws we already have on the books more effectively.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to the Illinois legislature
Feb 20, 2019
On Health Care:
Expand health care but can't do it all at once
We increase the income eligibility threshold in the Child Care Assistance Program which will give quality care to approximately 10,000 more children. We will be able to hire an additional 126 direct service staff for DCFS to protect children.
We will provide funding to help investigate cases of kids' exposure to lead. This is less than what I would like to do. But it is what we can afford to do in year one of our recovery.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to the Illinois legislature
Feb 20, 2019
On Jobs:
Increase number of minority businesses for state contracts
We can grow our economy and make it more inclusive by taking advantage of the talent among the diverse people of our state. That's why we must promote the development of sustained wealth in black and brown communities by
being purposeful about increasing the number of minority-owned businesses eligible for state procurement opportunities and by attracting private capital to build out new businesses and jobs in Opportunity Zones.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to the Illinois legislature
Feb 20, 2019
On Tax Reform:
Fair income tax to shift burden to the wealthy
There is a structural deficit today of over $3 billion per year that if left unaddressed will continue to grow. There is a backlog of unpaid bills and debt that exceeds $15 billion. Our option is to reject imposing additional income, retirement and
sales taxes on the middle class and instead enact a fair income tax. This would lift some of the tax burden off of middle income earners and instead ask the wealthiest to pay a little more.
It is not fair that I pay the same tax rate as a teacher, a child care worker, a police officer or a nurse. And efforts to simply increase the income tax rate across the board fuels further income inequality and kicks the can
down the road for our children and grandchildren to solve our ongoing budget issues. The state needs a fair tax, and I am going to be relentless in pursuing one over the next two years.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to the Illinois legislature
Feb 20, 2019
On Welfare & Poverty:
Low minimum wage is sentence to poverty
Many of you asked me why I made passing a $15 minimum wage an immediate priority. The current minimum wage is $8.25 an hour--which means even if you are working full time every week out of the year, you are making $17,000 a year.
You can't send your kids to college on $17,000 a year. You can't afford a single health emergency. You can't sustain child care. And one paycheck is often the only firewall against homelessness. The current minimum wage is a lifetime sentence to poverty.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to the Illinois legislature
Feb 20, 2019
Page last updated: Apr 02, 2019