Annual state of the state address. This is 30 minutes. Good afternoon. Llerton, steven madden, leader brady, Lieutenant Governor sanguinetti, attorney general madigan, comptroller mendoza, treasurer fredericks, members of the general assembly, distinguished guests and members of the media, welcome. To the members of the national guard, our servicemen and women, and our veterans, thank you on behalf of of a most grateful state. [applause] thank you. God bless you. To the taxpayers of illinois, it is an honor to serve you. My report on the state of the ,tate, this bicentennial year begins with a reflection on what has been born, built and grown in illinois. Our history is rich. We were the first state to ratify the constitutional amendment to abolish slavery. President s lincoln, grant, reagan and obama called illinois home. We taught the world how to rebuild a city when we scraped the sky after the chicago fire. We invented the twinkie and a started the First Nuclear chain reaction. Companies,tune 500 1. 2 million small businesses, and 72,000 of the nations greatest , we are the worlds 17th largest economy. We are a top bioscience and medical center. 82 foreign consulates help connect us to the global economy. Our institution of higher andning, our world renowed world connected. Plet important, our peo lead the world in hard work and innovation. You name the field and we will name the pioneers. Nobel laureate roberts work. Lovells moon orbiting. Disneys is walt two eared mouse. There is Marshall Field on that great street and john deers ste el plow. Robert mccormick and that leaves Michael Jordan and jackie joynerkersee. Authors Ernest Hemingway and edna forever. 10 of ourroduce nations computer scientists. We graduate more engineers then m. I. T. And caltech combined. Youtube,grads started paypal, tesla motors, and so many more. This is where illinois comes from. These are the people on whose shoulders we stand to envision our future. This is the lofty Vantage Point from which we now look ahead. Throughout our history, illinois has been a magnet. If you wanted to fill the soil, lay a brick, fill the building, make a deal, supercompute, you name it, you could find work in illinois, an affordable home and rely on the Public Schools to educate your children. An opportunity to turn yesterday into tomorrow. Powerhouselinois the jobcreator we should be. We can do it. Bidnited last fall to amazon headquarters. We collaborated to compete for 1 168,000 of growth, potential jobs and 129 billion in commutative new gdp. [laughter] [applause] the fact is, there is another even bigger amazonlike opportunity for us to pursue. From anposal comes enterprise called the state of illinois. We have the assets and we certainly have the incentive. 12. 8 million fellow citizens who want us to ignite our economy. But this is not a prize one wins alone. It takes a collaborative effort, a forget about the politics and roll up our sleeves approach. It requires a laserlike focus on Economic Development and job creation and a bipartisan dedication to restoring public trust. [applause] gov. Rauner this legislative session is a chance for us to put in place the policies, the changes, the fiscal disciplines to recruit many more amazons. United, we can create thousands and thousands of jobs and invest billions of dollars in investment and set millions of illinoisans free to make more, buy more, and build more. Thetoday, this report on state of our state will focus on aces that we can agree we focus on two build our future. Illinois is one of readiness. Unprecedentedrn of angst with our culture. And the firm belief that we have tremendous, but as yet unrealized economic potential. The place to start is with the joint efforts to restore public trust. , to standuth to power up against the establishment without fear of incrimination. These notions of democracy and a social progress too often seem lost in illinois government. Where once we joined to address our problems, we know divide to conquer the other side. Or worse, we legislate for expediency, rather than effect. When the Metoo Movement struck springfield last fall, the outcry for ethical reform turned into legislation and a hollywood minute. Unfortunately, many believe that transparency and accountability were sacrificed for optics and speed. So today, i will sign an executive order to strengthen the policies that ensure all Government Employees under my offices jurisdiction have reliable and responsive outlets for reporting axis sexual misconduct. Actorder makes the ethics Supreme Court other laws and agreement in the state. It is in a collective bargaining agreement. [applause] the order creates a chief Compliance Office and requires training on best investigation practices by the end of this year and every two years after that. These are powerful protections that the legislature should emulate. Further, we will introduce legislation this session to make the ethics act the prevailing law of this state in all matters involving misconduct. Every man and woman here today and every man and woman in our state, we are all unified in the expectation that we will act on andcomplete intolerance of utter revulsion for sexual harassment. [applause] protection it is and we must give. Ask you to come together for another important thought. Ago two and a half years ago, the departments of Public Health and medical affairs responded to an outbreak of legionnaires, which claimed the lives of 13 veterans. Our leadership team, and our medical and caregivers staff took all the right steps to deal with the crisis. We discover the true cause of the outbreak. We partnered with the cdc. We took each of their recommendations and installed a 6 million Water Treatment system that instituted best practices for water flushing and and puration ifcation thatthough Research Shows legionella unfortunately, is everywhere, including is very capital. Our goal is to prevent legionella. Said it is almost completely impossible to eradicate all of the data. But we will keep fighting. The latest cdc recommendations are being implemented, but we are going beyond the recommendation to the expert. And we are investigating the possibility of entire system replacementsand perhaps even an entirely new facility. Some of my friends from the quincy hall are here today,. Please stand [applause] god bless you. Passionll of us share a to do everything we can to keep our veterans save and healthy. I know i can count on all of you to support the improvements that are needed. Those it offend us put it all on the line for us and we must number the same for them. No one in illinois is happy without properly checking the assessment system. Ordinary people, the ones money orclout or connections, the are all symptoms of a system rigged against them. Too long, businesses have gotten two tax things, while little guys cannot get into the pocketbook. Home values in some parts of our state are half what they were 10 years ago. Yes, property taxes are quite as high. Small businesses often have to cut back or bitter taxes. Elderly couples are too often their homeof Christine Wilson is here today and is one of thousands of homemakers in los angeles that has property taxes unfair unaffordable and crushing. Christine, thank you for your passionate advocacy. It is a vicious form of oppression. The system traps people in their homes. Then they vaporize the equities. Then he drives more underwater. And in some cases, pushes people out of our states. It is time to put a stop to the corruption. We presented a legislation that prevents legislators from presenting. Institute. Ren will once again, you will ask. Given people the ability to lower their property taxes through a simple voter reforms we these are and got to recognize theres one more step we em we need to regulate. Turn. The state want to 30 or in this room. It is this time to make this role to move out. As we needd decisive to be on ethics, we need to be just as aggressive, one job and the economy. There is no question we need the process. News of population defines and the Business Growth have effectively gone far beyond the headlines. I dont know anyone in his chamber, or living in entire yes, there was example after example of what could you island reforms their pensions. California then enacted term limits. Massachusetts change the Group Health Plan and lowered workers we havesurance rates the power to take similar steps. The question is, whether we have of the put with thousand people to work in illinois. We brought jobs here this year, amazon, general mills, newport. Teel, Brand Industries we served a future energy job there to treat thousands of jobs because we recognize the leaders to willnergy sector , we have given our safe tools we created an emergency to help get farms to market. I saw that. The key to job training is education and discipline. During our time in the executive branch, something in the kato. O we achieved in the struggle parity in perpupil r anything now prepare our children to be prosperous participants in the 21st century workforce. But we create the jobs, illinois young people will be willing to send them. And this is my caption or, we have made a story justice together. Andness, responsiveness adjust. They are Center Points of our efforts. Lights they cannot train and test for professional licenses while they are serving in prison. I like you all to say hello to a guest here today, landis jackson. Next time you are in cairo, get as much shopping done as i did. Eachll show you that he theres Nine Division in the department of corrections many have been headlines. And 30 of your end up back from prison for three years. The combat gang violence, as well as drugs, guns and human trafficking. Feeling Like State Police . Well if i graduated three new we will fight in the Opioid Epidemic with a 24 7 helpline that has steered to tons of victims to recover. Scholars must manage to for youve [fed my life it was medication to black overdoses. We are determined have 19 Innovative New labor agreements in place to pay our hardworking state on anment employees based 40 work week rather than 37 and a half hours and pay on merits and productivity, not just seniority. We have launched the technology initiatives. Our Health Care Fraud elimination tax force has helped to root out medicaid fraud to the tune of 400 and 50 million 400 50 million in taxpayer savings so far. Were also careful stewards of taxpayer dollars. What we spend is not ours, it belongs to our taxpayers. And we believe they deserve better value for their money. Have vetoed unbalanced budgets that would pushes deeper into debt. We have vetoed tax increases that illinoisans cannot afford. Weve who towed the 32 income tax increase enacted last summer. 2019, our pension costs will rise another 600 million. Theynyone in this room if think trajectory of Pension Expense can be sustained. Most will say no. Lack the courage to break with the status quo so we can change our path to the future. At this point, i think we can agree. It is time we do with the people of illinois want, stop spending money we dont have. Get our pensions under control. Give power back to the people of illinois. [applause] the surest road to Economic Vitality and job growth is a collaborative effort to regain our financial integrity. To that end, i will submit a balanced Budget Proposal next month. [applause] i hope this year you guys will pass it instead of ignoring it. It will offer a path to reduce spending. Will show the way to surpluses Going Forward so we can cut taxes and start to push back against the assault on middleclass bank accounts. [no audio] [no audio] [applause] we assume significant challenges ahead but the opportunities we have are so extraordinary. Like multiple avenues. We must rally around the cause for job growth for all illinoisans. Experience, we cannot tax and borrow in to prosperity. We must grow our way into a more prosperous future. We all know the people of illinois are taxed out. Just as we reverse the flow of the chicago river, its time to change the flow of money in illinois. Spending, and Work Together to give the people the capital they need to build and grow. If that happens, we will produce more good paying jobs, higher personal income and personal growth, and attack cap attract talented taxpayers to our economy. Abraham lincoln once said the best we to predict the future to create it. It is within our power to produce illinois that lives up to our resources. The seeds are planted. The work has begun. Now is the time to finish the job. All, god bless our veterans, god bless the people of illinois, and god bless the United States of america. Thank you. [applause] journalton with news and in news and policy issues that impact you. Usa today washing correspondent will also discuss efforts to lower Prescription Drug prices with david mitchell. Cspans washington journal, live beginning at 7 a. M. 7 00 a. M. Eastern this morning. Tuesday morning, we are live in little rock arkansas for the next stop on the cspan. Bash cspan bust if the capital store. This starts at 9 00 eastern. Now i sit a Committee Hearing on Virtual Currencies with the chairs of the security and exchange commission. They testify on oversight and regulatory activities. This is just under two hours