By Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is set to deliver his State of the State address Wednesday and lawmakers from parties want the governor to highlight issues important for their constituents.
The governor is expected to address a variety of issues. He’s previously talked about the need for more money for higher education and changes to make the state’s criminal justice fairer.
State Sen. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, said he wants the governor to tackle some of the state’s most entrenched problems.
“I think everyone will agree there are three pressing issues we need to address, and those three are pensions, property taxes and ethics,” Martwick said.
The legislature has been rocked with corruption investigations. On Tuesday, former state Sen. Martin Sandoval, D-Chicago, pleaded guilty to accepting $250,000 in bribes to protect the red-light camera industry. Last year, state Rep. Luis Arroyo, D-Chicago, was arrested and charged with bribery. He later resigned. State Sen. Tom Cullerton, D-Villa Park, was charged last year with embezzling from a labor union. He has pleaded not guilty.
House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, said Sandoval’s plea agreement Tuesday highlighted the need for changes.
“Illinois still needs significant reforms to address not only our fiscal issues, but the culture of corruption [that] has invaded government at all levels in Illinois and we got the first taste of it today from the district court in Chicago.”
Durkin said the state’s declining population was another concern.
“In the last decade, we have lost more residents than any other state in the nation,” Durkin said. “It’s nothing to be proud of and a lot of it has to do with what does and does not get done in this building.”
Martwick said putting the state’s finances in order was another priority.
“Those always revolve around pensions,” Martwick said. “We’re not going to really get down to real property tax relief until we get our financial house in order.”
On other issues, Durkin said he talks with the governor regularly and believes the governor wants to address business policies to grow the state’s economy.
“But again, it’s about priorities that will be recognized on behalf [of] our caucus and those priorities will again be more business reforms,” Durkin said. “I can’t tell you about specifics at the moment. This will be a work in progress. But again, I want to hear what the governor has to say.”
House Republicans also want a fair map-making process for legislative redistricting.
Pritzker has said he doesn’t think a constitutional amendment setting up a legislative map-making process was needed. He previously said he’d veto any map that he didn’t think was fair.
Durkin said Pritzker’s approach wouldn’t work.
“I look at that being a little too subjective, and as I said before it’s really in the eyes of the beholder, but there needs to be a better process in place and I have expressed that with the governor in my private meetings with him,” Durkin said.
Pritzker’s speech is at noon Tuesday in front of the members of the House and Senate.
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