SPRINGFIELD – State lawmakers and candidates for state office were ready to react to the governor's comments as soon as he left the House floor:
State Representative Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) said the governor's comments could turn
I appreciated Governor Rauner’s renewed commitment to turning around Illinois’ economy, and was pleased to see that his agenda aims to transform every area of government to maximize efficiency and to improve the value for taxpayers.
Restoring the public’s trust in government is imperative, and today the Governor outlined a comprehensive agenda that puts Illinois onto a path toward improved results and more disciplined spending. The positive outcomes could be far-reaching, and I look forward to the day when Illinois citizens can once again trust their government officials.
From State Rep. Jeanne Ives' (R-Wheaton) comments:
Under Illinois’ political class, The State of the State has fallen into disgrace. It is a disgrace that our families and businesses have been put on the hook for the deception and failure of politicians. It is a disgrace that Lutheran Social Services had to cut 43% of their staff and 30 programs serving 4,700 people because the agency has not been paid the $6 million it is owed by the state, and other contractors are part of $8 billion more of unpaid bills. It’s a disgrace that taxpayers shoulder the burden for public sector pensions that those same taxpayers will never see, and that politicians promised but didn’t fully fund.
As we learn of the State of the State, many are – understandably – frightened, and believe the governor should just agree to a budget and leave his Turnaround Agenda items for another day, but that approach doesn’t work.
Illinois just had a four-year case study on it. Illinois Democrats raised income taxes by 67 percent in 2011, and the tax increase was in place for four years. At the end of those four years, Illinois still has many of the same problems it had before the tax increase was passed. At the end of those four years, Illinois still had a huge pile of unpaid bills. We still have the worst-funded pension system in America. Our schools continue to struggle. Our largest city and economic engine, Chicago, and our largest school system, Chicago Public Schools, are in dire financial straits. During the four years of the tax increase, Illinois received several credit-rating downgrades, dropping us to the lowest-rated state in the nation. Again, while the tax increase was in effect, our financial position deteriorated, and the independent rating agencies punished us for it.
Ignoring harsh realities in order to curry political popularity isn’t leadership.
State Rep. Ron Sandack (R-Downers Grove) :
A recurring theme of today's speech was bipartisanship, compromise and collaboration. Governor Rauner clearly articulated his willingness to meet Democrat legislative leaders in the middle. I hope his renewed invitation is accepted by Speaker Madigan and President Cullerton, and that very soon we will see tangible results.
I am pleased to know that term limits/redistricting reform, relief from state mandates, and pension reform remain at the top of our Governor’s agenda. In this era of extreme distrust in elected officials, limiting lawmaker terms and taking the process of drawing legislative boundaries out of politicians’ hands, are a great first step. Promoting more local control by removing burdensome state mandates is another meaningful step in restoring the public’s faith in their government, and pension reform is a ‘must’ for creating manageable and sustainable budgets.
Senator Jim Oberweis (25th District) said:
Gov. Rauner said he remains committed to a new direction for Illinois, asking lawmakers again to work with him to achieve fiscal responsibility and a fundamental change in the way state government works.
Senator Sue Rezin (38th District) said:
Governor Rauner’s State of the State address was one every Illinoisan can appreciate. His plan to turn around the state’s economy, making state government more efficient, and focusing on reforms to right Illinois’ fiscal ship are all much needed.
His address makes it very clear, we must all work together to solve Illinois’ problems.
We can all agree, Illinois must focus on reforming Illinois’ education system, reforming the state’s criminal justice system, passing a balanced budget, and improving the lives of all citizens.
Restoring trust in government, moving Illinois forward, and remaining optimistic are all themes I completely agree on with the Governor. I hope we can start to make these themes a reality this year.”
State Senator Mike Connelly and State Rep. Jeanne Ives, both from Wheaton
State Sen. Michael Connelly (R-Wheaton) says the governor is willing to meet mid-way with the Democrats:
Governor Rauner has shown a willingness to meet the legislative majorities 'mid-way' on his Illinois transformation agenda. The Governor has already made significant compromises with the Senate President on topics of pension reform, economic development, and areas of government modernization. We are achieving results under Governor Rauner's leadership on criminal justice reform, ethical advancements, and some common-sense approaches to business development.
The Governor has shown on major portions of his ‘Turnaround Agenda’ that he is willing to bridge differences with the other side, only to be turned back by the legislative majority. Despite all of the obstacles, Governor Rauner continues working to bring Illinois back to its prominence. The Republican Caucuses stand ready to work with the legislative majorities to settle the budget impasse and resolve the long-standing issues that have held Illinois back.
Jerry Long, candidate for State Representative in the 76th District said he was pleased about the governor's focus on job growth:
I was pleased that Gov. Rauner focused on job growth. As a union truck driver, I understand that families in our district need good-paying jobs, so we must have job creation. In order to increase wages and benefits, we need employers competing for employees. And in order to save important state jobs, we must have a thriving private-sector economy.
As Gov. Rauner said, it is unacceptable for Illinois to be losing jobs to other states. Michael Madigan’s stronghold on our government has crippled our economy with big spending and high taxes. We have to lift that burden off working families and their employers in order to grow our economy again."
Allen Skillicorn, Republican Candidate for the 66th Legislative District, said Governor Rauner has made it clear things have changed in Springfield:
Today, we didn’t just hear soundbites and political pandering. We heard from a governor who is taking on Illinois’ challenges, even though it’s politically difficult. Governor Bruce Rauner is right, the Illinois political class consisting of Speaker Madigan and his special interest allies are crushing both employers and families. The agenda the governor laid out today is a broad agenda, but a necessary agenda. He’s ready to move the state forward, to be competitive, and build higher paying jobs.
Illinois desperately needs pension reform, education reform, criminal justice reform, and improvements to the way Illinois delivers services. Without modest reforms unions will have no jobs to unionize and trial lawyers will have no businesses to sue.
It is clear that the debate in Springfield has changed. Today, Governor Rauner outlined the next steps. We must make even bigger changes in 2016, if Illinois is to be a place where families choose to live and work, and can afford to live and work.
More to come …
