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"Whether you live in Pilsen,
Plainfield, Peoria or Pinckneyville, all of us want the same
things," the governor said. "And so the question for all of us here
today is: What can we do to help the people of Illinois build better
lives? If we can help people earn a good living, help businesses
reduce their costs, if we can respect and protect people's
paychecks, if we can give kids a good education, if we can give
everyone access to good health care, keep people safe, and give
families more time for the things that really matter, then we truly
can deliver on our promise to the people of Illinois. The last two
years have been a very good start, but there's still more to do."
The governor's agenda for moving the
state forward builds on numerous achievements and benchmarks reached
during the first two years of his administration.
Economic
opportunity
In order for Illinoisans to build
better lives, they need opportunities to earn good livings. During
the past two years, the state has negotiated more than 200 deals
with companies to create and retain jobs throughout the state,
including bringing Target to DeKalb, PetsMart to Ottawa, Hershey
Foods to Edwardsville, expanding DemirCo in Decatur, expanding Aisin
in Marion and retaining 600 Wells Fargo jobs in Springfield. The
state also expanded funding for job training and worker development
and created the Illinois Finance Authority to offer low-interest
loans to businesses interested in coming to Illinois. The governor's
innovative Opportunity Returns regional job creation and economic
development strategy is reaping results in six regions announced to
date, and next week, he will launch new plans for the Central, East
Central and Southeast regions.
"All of our efforts are paying off,"
the governor said. "Last year, 50,000 new jobs were created, hotel
and motel receipts are up 11 percent, and I'm proud to say that the
unemployment rate in Illinois has dropped to 5.8 percent -- the
lowest it has been since the aftermath of Sept. 11. We held our
ground. We said no to income tax increases, we said no to sales tax
increases and as the economy is starting to turn the corner, now is
the time to seize the moment."
Thursday the governor announced new
plans to boost the economy through key investments in Illinois'
natural resources, better coordination with businesses to reduce
their costs and new strategies to attract business to Illinois.
Homeland security industry
In 2003, the federal government,
states, cities and the private sector spent more than $100 billion
on homeland security efforts. The world market for security products
and systems -- ranging from filters that protect people from viruses
to wireless tracking devices that monitor cargo on ships -- is worth
about $43 billion and is projected to increase 11 percent annually
through 2006, approaching $80 billion. A recent study conducted by
the RAND Corporation concluded that Illinois is well-positioned to
attract and support the homeland security industry.
Gov. Blagojevich proposed several
ways for Illinois to tap into this market. First, the state will
create a division within the Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity whose sole purpose will be to encourage companies that
make homeland security products to come to Illinois. The state will
also use existing tax credits and programs as incentives for
companies that produce homeland security products. Second, the
governor is asking Illinois universities and community colleges to
develop their curriculum to educate and train students to work in
the homeland security industry. Third, the governor proposes
positioning Illinois military bases as testing grounds for new
homeland security products. And finally, the state will develop ways
to increase the flow of homeland security research and development
dollars to Illinois by working with the Illinois congressional
delegation and the Illinois Coalition, a public-private partnership
focused on obtaining federal dollars for the state of Illinois.
"This is a growing industry," the
governor said. "And the products we need to keep America safe should
be made right here in Illinois. And why not Illinois? Located in the
center of the country, on the Great Lakes, connected to the
Mississippi and Ohio rivers, home to O'Hare Airport and the nation's
railroad hub, Illinois is well-positioned to do this. We have a
trained and eager work force, a strong manufacturing infrastructure,
excellent transportation, top-notch military bases, and some of the
best universities and research institutions in the world."
Illinois wind power: Renewable Portfolio Standard
To create jobs, protect the
environment and promote energy independence, the governor called on
the Illinois Commerce Commission to increase the portion of energy
that comes from renewable sources, including wind. Electricity
demand in Illinois continues to grow 2 percent annually. At the same
time, Illinois has enough wind to generate a significant amount of
electricity, but this clean, homegrown and renewable energy source
remains largely untapped.
The governor is recommending a
Renewable Portfolio Standard that requires each electric utility or
other retail electricity supplier to supply enough renewable energy
by 2012 to comprise at least 8 percent of the electricity sold in
Illinois. This requirement would mean that more than 4,000 megawatts
of power must come from renewable sources by 2012, and at least 75
percent of that -- or 3,000 megawatts -- must be wind. This amount
of wind power could serve nearly 1,000,000 Illinois households.
Currently, there are at least 12 large wind projects under
consideration in Illinois that will likely be built, should the
state adopt a Renewable Portfolio Standard. A Renewable Portfolio
Standard could generate more than $3 billion in investments in
Illinois, creating about 3,000 construction jobs and several hundred
permanent jobs.
Illinois coal industry
The governor announced another major
effort that will both create jobs and promote energy independence.
Peabody Energy is building a $2 billion clean coal power plant in
Washington County. The new state-of-the-art Prairie State Power
Plant will be nearly three times cleaner than any coal plant built
in Illinois and will be the biggest coal plant built in the nation
in 20 years. The 1,580 megawatt plant will use 6 million tons of
Illinois coal and will generate nearly $100 million in state
economic benefits each year.
The state has worked extensively to
make this project a reality. The Illinois Finance Authority is
working to provide Peabody with $300 million in low-interest loans
and approximately $1.7 billion in financing through bonds. The
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued Peabody an air
permit in January, allowing the company to formalize partnership
agreements and begin the construction process. And, the Department
of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is exploring grants from the
Illinois Coal Competitiveness Fund to pay for testing and
preliminary construction items.
The project is expected to create
2,500 construction jobs, 450 mining and operations jobs, and even
more jobs when new transmission lines are built. The average salary
for the operation jobs will be more than $55,000 a year.
Illinois wine industry
In an effort to promote and expand
the emerging wine industry in Illinois, the governor called for a
new campaign to promote Illinois wine, including designating the
month of September "Illinois Wine Month." The wine industry is one
way to entice more tourists to southern Illinois. Gov. Blagojevich
cited the state of Michigan as a wine success story. Although not
comparable to the vineyards in France, Italy or California, Michigan
has 48 wineries that generate $75 million a year in tourism.
Illinois has 51 wineries that generate only $20 million in tourism.
Air
transportation
Illinois is the transportation hub
for the entire Midwest. O'Hare International is the nation's busiest
airport -- one of every four flights is delayed. During his address,
the governor renewed his commitment to the massive O'Hare
modernization project and also for construction of a south suburban
airport near Peotone. He endorsed U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s plan
for the privately funded Abraham Lincoln National Airport in
Peotone. The airport will help reduce air congestion and serve as an
important economic engine for the south suburbs and Will County
without competing with O'Hare for federal funding. The governor
directed Tim Martin, secretary of the Illinois Department of
Transportation, to sit down with Jackson, state Sen. Debbie
Halvorson and Will County executive Larry Walsh to come together on
a plan that can be submitted to the Federal Aviation Authority as
soon as possible.
World
trade
Another way to expand the Illinois
economy is to expand trade. The governor outlined a new plan --
suggested by House Speaker Michael J. Madigan -- to partner with the
private sector in expanding export opportunities for Illinois
companies. The governor is creating an Illinois Business Council
that will be comprised of business leaders and will host monthly
leadership forums, create trade missions, help businesses enter new
world markets, represent Illinois at trade shows, and market and
promote Illinois agriculture products.
Workers' compensation reform
Illinois is the 19th most expensive
state in the nation when it comes to workers' compensation premiums.
Illinois companies pay 40 percent more for workers' compensation
than neighboring states Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana. In an
effort to bring these costs down, the governor is proposing to
reform the system. First, he proposes launching a "Fraud Squad,"
with real investigatory and subpoena powers, that could proactively
investigate all types of workers' compensation fraud, medical
provider fraud, insurer fraud, workers' fraud and employer fraud.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, fraud in workers'
compensation costs employers $6.5 billion a year.
To find new ways to bring workers'
compensation costs down, the governor is asking business leaders and
labor leaders to work together on legislation to implement
cost-control strategies, protect workers from being responsible for
unpaid workers' comp medical bills and create a short-term partial
benefit for workers. Among the ideas leaders will consider are
setting provider fee schedules and setting hospital payment
regulations. The governor also pushed to require insurance companies
to pay medical providers directly, rather than making workers
responsible -- something every state except Illinois does.
Regulatory reform
To reduce the cost and hassle of
doing business in Illinois, Gov. Blagojevich is launching a
regulatory reform effort to eliminate and streamline cumbersome
state regulations. Similar to the effort at the Illinois State Board
of Education to reduce the more than 2,800 pages of rules and
regulations, the state will work with business owners to find out
which rules and regulations are overly complicated, redundant or
unnecessary. The state will prepare an initial list of regulations
to be reformed by next year.
Illinois Business Portal
Building on the effort to reduce red
tape and hassle, the governor is launching a one-stop online
business portal where businesses that interact with the state can
get all the forms and information they need. Currently, businesses
may comb through numerous state agencies' websites or visit multiple
offices to comply with requirements and regulations. But, starting
immediately, businesses can go to
www.business.illinois.gov
to find the information they need from state government all in one
place. The website provides information to business owners at all
stages of their business' development: from starting a new business
to maintaining an existing business to changing a business. The site
will allow businessmen and women to get their questions answered;
download forms, licenses and permits; and locate information about
different programs and incentives available to them.
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Small
business health insurance
Small businesses are major drivers
of the economic recoveries in Illinois and the entire country; they
are responsible for creating approximately 75 percent of new jobs
nationwide. But, as health care premiums continue to rise by double
digits annually, small businesses are struggling to provide health
care coverage for their employees. In fact, in a survey conducted by
International Profit Associates Small Business Research Board, 70
percent of small businesses named health care costs as their most
rapidly growing expenses. Increasing costs make businesses less
profitable and force them to make hard choices like passing costs
off to their workers, laying off employees or not hiring news ones,
creating hardships for Illinois families.
For these reasons, the governor is
proposing a first-of-its-kind partnership between the state and
local chambers of commerce -- starting with the Chicagoland Chamber
-- to help small businesses save money on the cost of health
insurance. Illinois will look at Cleveland, Ohio's, successful small
business plans, including the Council of Small Enterprises, which
has helped 14,000 businesses with 88,000 employees save 15 percent
on their health care costs by pooling their resources and buying
power.
"Bringing down the cost of health
insurance isn't going to be quick or easy," Gov. Blagojevich said.
"We're venturing into uncharted territory. But as the old adage
says, 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained.' Adopting the Cleveland
model gives us a chance to both help businesses save money and help
more people get health insurance. It's a creative idea and a
worthwhile endeavor."
Health care
In the area of health care, Gov.
Blagojevich highlighted significant gains the state has made during
the past two years, despite unprecedented budget deficits. According
to the Kaiser Foundation, Illinois is leading the nation in
providing health care to children and working parents. Last year
alone, the governor fought for and secured funding to provide health
care to 56,000 more men, women and children.
The governor continues his fight for
affordable prescription drugs through his I-SaveRx program, the
state's safe and affordable drug importation program, and the
Illinois Rx Buying Club, which enables senior citizens and the
disabled to save an average of 23 percent on their medications at
thousands of pharmacies in Illinois. Just this week, the governor
announced the state is lowering the enrollment fee for the Illinois
Rx Buying Club from $25 to $10. In the coming year, the state will
increase awareness of I-SaveRx through an integrated marketing
strategy.
In an effort to make health care
more affordable for women, the governor signed a law requiring
private insurance companies to cover female contraceptives. This new
law can save women an average of $400 each year. Just last month,
the governor launched the Contraceptive Coverage Awareness Campaign,
an aggressive effort to inform women that private insurance plans
that cover outpatient drugs or services are now required to cover
FDA-approved contraceptive services and prescriptions.
Also in the area of women's health,
the state has expanded funding for breast cancer screenings,
cervical cancer screenings and HIV/AIDS prevention. The state also
launched the Illinois Healthy Women program to help women avoid
unplanned pregnancies. And, this month, Gov. Blagojevich and his
wife, Patti, will raise awareness about women's heart disease.
Nearly twice as many women die from heart disease and stroke than
from all other forms of cancer combined.
Another critical health care issue
facing the people of Illinois is the medical malpractice crisis.
Last fall, the governor appointed a mediator to bring all interested
parties to the negotiating table to forge an agreement, but the
gridlock continues. During Thursday's address, the governor called
for medical malpractice reform that protects the personal assets of
doctors, preserves the rights of injured people to bring claims and
makes sure insurance companies reduce their premiums.
Another health care access issue
facing the state is a shortage of nurses. The governor is proposing
several initiatives to address the shortage, which currently stands
at 7 percent (vacancies versus jobs filled). First, the Illinois
Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is making $4.74
million available to the Critical Skills Shortage Initiative. These
grants will be used across the state for advanced education and
training and efforts to retain nurses in hospitals, long-term care
facilities and underserved areas. Second, the governor directed the
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to
reduce bureaucratic hurdles keeping experienced nurses from
relocating to Illinois. The governor is proposing legislation to
amend the Nurse Practice Act to eliminate the requirement that
foreign nurses pass the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing
Schools exam -- requiring passage of only the National Council of
Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses.
Education
Gov. Blagojevich announced during
his 2005 address that major reform at the Illinois State Board of
Education has netted real results for Illinois teachers, parents and
children.
"Last year, I asked you for the
opportunity to bring major change to the State Board of Education,"
he said. "You gave us that opportunity to make changes. And we've
run with it. I am pleased to report to you that the process of
change and reform at the state board is well under way."
Since the General Assembly approved
legislation giving the governor the authority to appoint seven new
members to the state board, the agency, under new leadership, has
eliminated the entire teacher certification backlog, which kept
almost 7,000 Illinois teachers in limbo. Over the next six months,
the state board will eliminate hundreds of pages of rules and
regulations, including streamlining the teacher certification
process. The governor also explained how the state is streamlining
school report cards, providing meals to 40,000 more Illinois
children, and cutting agency spending and using those savings to
help schools consolidate.
The governor also announced the new
Access to Preschool Initiative. Over the last two years, the state
has increased funding to allow 17,000 more children to attend
preschool. But some Illinois children have been denied the
opportunity to get a jump-start on their educations because they are
undocumented immigrants. The Mexican American Legal Defense and
Education Fund asked the state to step in on behalf of one child's
family. Thursday, the governor called on the Illinois State Board of
Education to change the current rules and allow undocumented
immigrants access to state-funded preschool.
Quality of life:
spending more time with your family
All the initiatives the governor
outlined during his annual address are aimed at improving the
quality of life for Illinois families. In addition to having a good
job, quality education and health care, the governor outlined other
ways to improve our overall quality of life.
Illinois Tollway
The Illinois Tollway's $5.3 billion
congestion-relief plan will reduce travel times and congestion by
addressing critical infrastructure needs of the Illinois Tollway. By
improving mobility throughout northern Illinois, the plan will
strengthen the state's economy, create jobs and reduce travel times
so parents can spend more time at home with their children.
Child
support
The governor also outlined ways to
improve the quality of life for children being raised by single
parents. Many of Illinois' 300,000 single moms are struggling to
make a living and have been forced to spend their free time hunting
down the child support they are owed. The governor's Child Support
Enforcement Initiative has increased collections to $950 million,
the largest dollar amount ever collected in Illinois.
But, the state can do more. The
governor is launching a New Hire Initiative designed to improve the
speed and reliability of child support collection. He is directing
the Illinois Department of Public Aid and Illinois Department of
Employment Security to work together to help business owners
understand their obligations in identifying employees who owe child
support and withholding wages. To educate employers of their
responsibilities, the Department of Public Aid will distribute new
handbooks to businesses, promote a website and hot line for
employers, and offer onsite education and training on the state's
reporting and withholding laws.
Safe
Games Illinois
In addition to making sure our
children are provided for, the governor also recognizes parents are
concerned about the outside influences shaping their children's
minds and behaviors. Research shows that violent and explicit video
games pose a new and growing threat to young people's development.
The Safe Games Illinois initiative seeks to protect children from
violent and sexually explicit video games by making Illinois the
first state in the nation to ban the distribution, sale and rental
of violent and sexually explicit video games to children under 18.
Gov. Blagojevich urged members of the General Assembly to support
his legislation to ban the sale and distribution of these games.
"For the same reason we don't allow
kids to buy pornography, for the same reason we don't allow kids to
buy cigarettes, for the same reason we don't allow them to buy
alcohol, we shouldn't allow them to go to stores and buy video games
that teach them to do the very things we put people in jail for:
picking up prostitutes, joining street gangs, killing police
officers or even assassinating President Kennedy," said Gov.
Blagojevich. "Buying these games should be up to parents -- not
kids."
Veterans
The federal and regional Veterans
Affairs offices have neglected Illinois' veterans for far too long.
Gov. Blagojevich understands the needs and frustrations of veterans
and has a plan to help the 1 million veterans collect the yearly
$400 million in benefits they're entitled to. The governor is taking
steps to ensure that those who served Illinois courageously receive
the best services the state can offer. The governor is dedicating
$1.5 million to hire additional service officers to help veterans
with their benefit applications, train service officers to better
assist veterans and conduct a study of the demographics of state
veterans in order to have a clear picture of where they are, what
kind of needs they have and how to better serve them.
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
The governor closed his remarks with
an open invitation to the new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
and Museum. When the museum opens on April 19, it will be the best
presidential institution in the nation, befitting the nation's
greatest president. The library and museum is a 200,000-square-foot
complex in downtown Springfield. After a four-day opening
celebration and dedication in April, the museum will serve as a
showcase for rotating exhibits comprised of artifacts on loan from
international museums and private collections in addition to the
museum's permanent features.
* * *
"We've done a lot, but there's still
more to do," Gov. Blagojevich said. "I've outlined a plan to do it.
But, I need your help. We can only accomplish all of this if we work
together. We won't agree on every idea. We won't share all of the
same values or priorities. But, if we keep in mind just a few simple
goals: better schools, affordable health care, safe communities,
good jobs and the value of family -- we can help people build better
lives. Yes, there is more work to be done. But, as Lincoln said 'The
best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.' If
we remain determined to succeed, we can touch the lives of everyone
in Illinois. And, we'll be a better state for it."
[News release from the
governor's office]
[Transcript
of speech] |
