The New State of Things

JB Pritzker took office as the new governor of Illinois on January 14, 2019.

He set a fine tone for his inaugural address, hearkening to the recent celebration of the Bicentennial of Illinois and speaking to this state's rich heritage, all the breadth of people and places it encompasses.

I was also struck by his reference to Reverend Collier's words in the wake of the Great Chicago Fire, noting that our existence as a people is defined by the geography that came long before our time, placing us in a context larger than ourselves, and can help us face the difficulties before us, knowing we can make things better.

It was with that background that he laid out his agenda to enhance the quality of life for Illinoisans by creating jobs, boosting the economy, addressing climate issues, and criminal justice reform.  It was also notable how he discussed the need to improve infrastructure, even connecting it with allowing people to have a smoother, faster commute so they can enjoy more quality time at home.

And he drew from that agenda during his first budget address.  Similar to Bruce Rauner, he talked about how there's no easy way out of the financial mess Illinois is in, and there will be some pain on the way to making things better, which would certainly be the case with his call for increases in income taxes for certain individuals.  Governor Pritzker clearly laid out priorities for health and human services, including education, as an important part of the budget, although he didn't say much in regards to infrastructure, which is certainly needed.  He also makes the legalization of marijuana a core part of addressing the budget woes Illinois faces, but I'm not so convinced that legalizing marijuana will really help society, much less address the budget issues at stake.

In the midst of a difficult situation, we can only hope Governor Pritzker will demonstrate good leadership and work in a bipartisan fashion to put Illinois on good footing, and do it in the long-run, just as he says that the plan he proposes is a multi-year effort to get Illinois back in shape.