Pat Quinn in 2013 Governor's State of the State speeches
On Civil Rights:
Marriage equality is coming to Illinois
Our Illinois is not a land of discrimination. Four years ago, nobody thought civil unions would be possible here. Today, civil unions are the law of our state. And nearly 5,200 couples across 94 counties have joined in a civil union.
Now, it's time to take that next step in achieving full equality. Marriage equality is coming to Illinois.
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Illinois Legislature
Feb 6, 2013
On Civil Rights:
Make IL the leading employer of people with disabilities
Four years ago, Illinois lagged behind the nation in providing community care to people with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges. We were institutionalizing more people than any other state. So we are changing that. We're committed
to making sure all our citizens--regardless of the challenges they face--have the opportunity to reach their full potential. That's why we closed outdated institutions--and we invested in community care.Because of our commitment,
Illinois will soon receive significant new resources to provide supportive housing for people with disabilities. These resources will provide not only a roof over their heads, but also the skills training, counseling, and services they need to become
productive members of their communities.
And we're not done yet. We want Illinois to be the nation's leading employer of people with disabilities. With your partnership, we can double the rate of employment for people with disabilities by 2015.
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Illinois Legislature
Feb 6, 2013
On Corporations:
Advantage Illinois: microloans to MWOB minority firms
Business requires capital. Four years ago, capital was hard to find as all of Illinois suffered from the Great Recession. So we invested in our small businesses, providing $23 million in federal funding to scores of companies through Advantage Illinois.
We've awarded micro-loans to hundreds of businesses, primarily to minority- and women-owned small businesses in high-need communities. In the past 4 years, we've increased the participation of minority- and women-owned firms in state contracts.
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Illinois Legislature
Feb 6, 2013
On Government Reform:
Online voter registration and no party in primary voting
In our Illinois, we embrace the voices and the votes of all people. Our democracy is strongest when more voters raise their voices at the ballot box. That's why Illinois should join 15 other states in making voter registration available online.
We must move our election process into the 21st century. And while we're at it, let's pass a long overdue law to allow voters to participate in primary elections without having to publicly declare their party affiliation.
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Illinois Legislature
Feb 6, 2013
On Government Reform:
Enact power of petition to recall a corrupt governor
In our Illinois, government belongs to the people, not to the office holders. Citizens should be able at all times to trust their elected officials. Four years ago, Illinois was the Wild West of campaign fundraising. We had a corrupt governor removed
from office and headed to prison, and another already in prison, both for fundraising abuses. This was not our Illinois. So we changed it. We passed a strong ethics code for office holders and public employees. For the first time in history, we enacted
campaign contribution limits.And we gave the people of Illinois the ability to use the power of petition to recall a corrupt governor. But we have more work to do.
In 1976, I led a petition drive to ban conflict of interest voting in the General
Assembly. 635,158 voters signed this petition--the greatest number of signatures ever gathered on a single petition in Illinois history. Silence about conflict of interest voting wasn't our Illinois then, and it's not our Illinois now. We can do better.
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Illinois Legislature
Feb 6, 2013
On Gun Control:
Comprehensive plan for gun safety & violence prevention
Last December, our hearts broke along with the parents of the children who died in the horrific massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. In the Old Testament, the prophet Jeremiah wept day and night for the slain of his people. But as elected officials, we're
in a position to do something about it. We must move forward with a comprehensive plan that includes gun safety legislation, mental health care, and violence prevention strategies. - We must prohibit the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity
ammunition magazines in Illinois.
- Of course, we must abide with the second amendment. But there is no place in our state for military-style assault weapons designed for rapid fire at human targets at close range.
- We must ensure that guns are kept
out of everyday public places, because guns don't belong in our schools, shopping malls, or sports stadiums.
- We must empower our law enforcement to keep guns from falling into the wrong hands. That means we need reliable mental health records.
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Illinois Legislature
Feb 6, 2013
On Homeland Security:
Let military medics to obtain LPN licenses
This morning, I signed an Executive Order that directs our licensing agencies to assess military training for state license requirements. Just last month, we completed a great first step, with the
Board of Nursing approving a suggested "bridge" curriculum for military medics to obtain LPN licenses. We owe it to our veterans--and to our companies--to keep this process moving.
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Illinois Legislature
Feb 6, 2013
On Jobs:
Reformed burdensome worker compensation system
Four years ago, Illinois had one of the most burdensome worker compensation systems in the country. That didn't help our businesses or our workers. So we reformed the system, saving business millions of dollars in insurance premiums.
And we did it working together, with both parties. Achieving this reform was not easy; but hard is not impossible.
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Illinois Legislature
Feb 6, 2013
On Social Security:
Balance budget by reforming our public pension systems
Do we want, in the years to come, a prosperous Illinois where working people continue to have good jobs, where businesses thrive, and where all our children have a world-class education? Or do we want to stop the progress and watch our economic recovery
stall?This is a choice about whether we'll make the tough decisions necessary to balance our budget by reforming our public pension systems, or whether we will let our jobs, our safety, and our schools be squeezed out by skyrocketing pension costs.
We have a tall task ahead of us. This is no small issue. And doing what's hard isn't always what's popular at the moment. But, we must remember that hard is not impossible.
We cannot allow our economic recovery to be held hostage by the pension crisis.
We simply must act. Our vision for our Illinois cannot be fully realized without pension reform. This problem cannot be delayed, deferred, or delegated to the next session, or to the next generation.
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Illinois Legislature
Feb 6, 2013
On Technology:
Create next-generation jobs with "1871" digital hub
To create 21st century jobs, we're investing in innovation. We helped create 1871, a digital hub that has become home to more than 200 startups. But there's more to be done. Now is the time to take that same innovative, public-private approach to
advanced manufacturing.In the last 3 years, manufacturing has been one of our state's leading growth sectors, creating nearly 40,000 new jobs. We're at the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing, and we need to stay there.
That's why we're
partnering with the University of Illinois and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications to create an advanced manufacturing hub where companies--big and small--come to learn and use the world's most sophisticated tools and software.
The Illinois Manufacturing Lab will make our manufacturers more competitive.
Now, in our Illinois, we leave no worker behind. As we create next-generation jobs, we must ensure that our workers are equipped for them. We're closing this "skills gap."
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Illinois Legislature
Feb 6, 2013
On Welfare & Poverty:
Hardest Hit program: Keep 6,550 families in their homes
Four years ago, runaway bankers brought the Illinois economy to its knees.
These shady operators peddled risky mortgage loan products--costing far too many people their homes. We must protect our homeowners from this kind of fraud and abuse.
In our Illinois, we do not forget about our hardest hit families during their time of need. That's why we've helped 6,550 families in 92 counties stay in their homes through our Hardest Hit program.
And more than half a million families received counseling and other resources through the Illinois Foreclosure Prevention Network that I launched last year.
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Illinois Legislature
Feb 6, 2013
Page last updated: Dec 05, 2018