Executive and Legislative Achievements

Over the last three years, Governor JB Pritzker and members of the General Assembly provided strong leadership during an extremely challenging international health crisis, taking actions that dramatically improved our state’s finances, saved lives and invested in what matters most for our future. The Governor continues to work with the legislature and local governments to lead the state through the COVID-19 global pandemic, overseeing crisis response and recovery efforts that have preserved the lives and livelihoods of people across Illinois.

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Key Highlights

After years of falling behind, Illinois is stronger today than any time in recent history

Outperformed neighboring states and all the most populous states during the pandemic, keeping more people alive and safe while supporting families and small businesses through the pandemic induced recession
Enacted balanced budgets every year and received credit upgrades for the first time in two decades, lowering interest rates and improving Illinois’ finances
Paid down state’s bill backlog and eliminated late bill payment, saving taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars
Improving state finances assist Illinois universities and community colleges in achieving credit rating upgrades
Increased state funding of K-12 education while expanding early childhood education and childcare and awarding more college scholarships to Illinois students
Reformed police and firefighter pension funds to increase assets and reduce the burden on property taxpayers
Made strategic bipartisan investments to modernize roads, bridges, schools and broadband - investing for the future while creating and supporting good jobs now

Beyond the Pandemic

Managing Illinois' Finances Responsibly

After years without a budget and the hollowing out of state government, stabilized state finances, leading to the state’s first ratings upgrades in more than 20 years, with all three major ratings agencies improving the state’s fiscal outlook
Nearly eliminated the state’s multi-billion-dollar bill backlog so Illinois is paying its bills on time for the first time in two decades
Balanced three straight budgets, investing in key priorities like education, healthcare, public safety, and human services while paying down state debt
Reduced the state’s structural deficit, in part by eliminating $655 million per year in unnecessary corporate tax loopholes
Streamlined state government operations and reduced $800 million in state spending by shedding hundreds of thousands of square feet of unused office space and by significantly advancing the sale of the inefficient James R. Thompson Center in Chicago
Consolidated nearly 650 downstate and suburban first responders’ pensions, with the goal of alleviating billions in local property tax burden
Launched a new billion-dollar cannabis industry that is now employing roughly 15,000 Illinoisans in new jobs – and more than a third of the tax revenue is coming from out-of-state customers
Increased share of federal dollars coming to Illinois by hundreds of millions of dollars — reducing the burden on Illinois taxpayers — with the most robust state Census count among the 10 largest states

Accelerating Economic Growth and Creating Jobs

Prioritized job creation, with pre-pandemic statewide unemployment reaching historic lows and with every region in the state creating jobs simultaneously for the first time in 20 years
Achieved 17% job growth from April 2020 to through the end of 2021, adding more than 859,000 jobs and reducing the unemployment rate from 16.5 percent to 5.7 percent
Reached bipartisan agreement to rebuild and modernize the state’s roads, bridges, public buildings, colleges, waterways, ports, parks, public transportation and other key infrastructure
Reduced taxes for up to 400,000 small businesses, allowing them to take federal tax deductions while not diminishing state revenue
Introduced 5-year economic plan to reinvigorate state’s economy by focusing on the nation’s fastest growing industries, with major progress achieved even during the pandemic
Attracted $1 billion in private/public investment in research centers of excellence focused on Illinois’ innovation industries, including the newly created Discovery Partners Institute with 15 Illinois Innovation Network startup hubs around the state
Created Connect Illinois, the largest broadband expansion effort in Illinois history, to make high speed internet service available to every resident and business in the state by 2024
Attracted $5 billion in new data center Investment to Illinois with targeted tax incentive, creating new well-paying tech and construction jobs
Aiming to make Illinois the “Silicon Valley” of quantum, invested in quantum computing infrastructure for University of Illinois and University of Chicago, followed by another $230 million from the federal government to create National Quantum Research Centers, and hundreds of millions in private capital
Created a business apprenticeship tax credit, encouraging job growth and workforce development
Attracted thousands of jobs in the electric vehicle industry and enacted incentives to make Illinois a national hub for EV businesses
Extended incentives for the television and film industry, with Illinois becoming a top-five production location and creating and supporting thousands of entertainment industry jobs
Invested $25 million in the Illinois Works Jobs Program to support community-based organizations’ efforts to recruit apprentices from diverse backgrounds to work on state’s massive infrastructure program
Set new attendance records at the Illinois State Fair in Central Illinois and a new 5-year high for attendance at the Du Quoin State Fair in Southern Illinois, bringing tens of millions of dollars to downstate small businesses
Created incentives for job creation on new construction and renovations in underserved communities
Established annual reporting on corporate board diversity for public companies to encourage greater representation
Appointed first ever Regulatory Innovation Officer to help make Illinois an ideal destination for innovation by monitoring and responding to emerging financial marketplace trends
Awarded first de novo charter in 10 years to a unique, nation-first bank operated and owned by women, focused on lifting up women-owned small businesses
Created two downstate Manufacturing Training Academies: an electric vehicle jobs partnership with Rivian at Heartland Community College in Normal and an Advanced Manufacturing Center at Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville
Expanded jobs and revenue by legalizing sports betting, including allowing six new casino licenses, including downstate licenses that are already creating jobs

Addressing Climate Change and Leading the Green Economy

Developed incentives for electric vehicle manufacturers, battery manufacturers, and EV charging companies to build facilities and create jobs in Illinois
Joined the US Climate Alliance and brought word of Illinois' commitments to the world stage at the United Nations climate change conference in Glasgow
Expanded wind and solar production to create jobs and revitalize rural communities
Became the first Midwest state to require 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2045, phasing out private coal by 2030 and ALL coal and natural gas by 2045
Doubled Illinois’ investments in renewable energy, providing long-term, stable financing and attracting new energy production and jobs to Illinois
Put Illinois on course to become the best state to drive an electric vehicle, offering $4,000 electric vehicle rebates to consumers and incentives for buildout of charging stations to ensure availability statewide
Saved thousands of jobs by preserving Illinois’ valuable zero-carbon nuclear fleet – the largest in the U.S. – at the lowest cost to ratepayers, preserving Illinois’ bridge to a 100% clean energy future. Shrank subsidy to 1/6 of the amount under the previous law.
Designed policies to ensure Illinois’ energy sector reflects the population it serves, with investments in workforce hubs, a path to prosperity for minority contractors, and support for Illinoisans living in environmental justice communities
Established a working group to ensure future vehicle purchases or leases by the State of Illinois will be low-emission and zero-emission vehicles

Investing in Early Childhood Education

Strengthened early education and childcare with biggest state investment ever into early childhood programs and facilities, and set a goal to make Illinois the best state in the nation for raising young families
Created the new Division of Early Childhood to strengthen and expand the state’s existing childcare, home visitation services and early intervention programs
Expanded childcare assistance to provide support for 20,000 more children
Increased reimbursement rates for early childhood educators, retaining and attracting them to provide better and more stable early learning for very young children
Improved quality in early childhood education and childcare workforce by providing scholarships to upskill educators and caregivers
Launched pilot program to support quality improvements for childcare providers in rural Illinois

Strengthening Elementary and Secondary Schools

Increased overall education funding with historic levels of Evidence Based Funding for K-12 students
Raised teachers’ pay and strengthened the pipeline for recruitment of new educators
Expanded vocational training in high schools and career and technical education
Made Illinois the first state in the nation to require Asian American history in public schools
Provided strategies and best practices for schools to ensure a welcoming, safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environment for transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming students
Banned school dress codes from policing hairstyles historically associated with race and ethnicity
Went beyond federal law to increase the time that special needs students can spend in K-12 classrooms
Added crisis hotline numbers to all middle school, high school, and public university student IDs
Launched Safe2Help Illinois statewide to provide a free, confidential, information sharing platform to help prevent bullying, suicides, and other threats of violence in schools

Making College More Affordable

Increased scholarship funding so that an anticipated 20,000 additional need-based grants for students will be awarded and increased the maximum size of each scholarship to a record amount
Increased by 40% merit scholarships for high achieving college-bound students
Expanded Illinois' participation in federal tuition aid, helping a record number of students afford post-secondary school
Restored and stabilized higher education funding after years of neglect, helping public universities and community colleges achieve credit rating upgrades

Improving Health Care Quality and Affordability

Provided $3.8 billion to hospitals to increase patient access to medical treatment in underserved communities - a product of the bipartisan, bicameral legislative Medicaid Working Group
Made Illinois the 3rd state in the nation to require insurance providers to cover substance use treatment and mental health disorders
Lowered the cost of prescription drugs for Illinoisans
Capped out-of-pocket insulin costs at $100 for a 30-day supply
Required that telehealth doctor visits would be covered by Medicaid and insurance providers
Enshrined women’s reproductive rights in Illinois law in case Roe v. Wade is reversed
Required birth control be made available through a pharmacist, without a doctor's visit
Increased discrimination protections for those seeking insurance coverage for fertility-related treatments
Expanded health care to nearly 150,000 more Illinoisans
- Reduced the backlog of people waiting more than 45 days for a Medicaid eligibility determination by more than 95%: down from 147,038 under the previous administration to under 3,000 cases at the end of 2021
Became the first state in the nation to extend full Medicaid coverage to new mothers through 12 months postpartum, a significant expansion of coverage from the previous 60-day postpartum period
Enacted Healthcare Affordability Act expanding healthcare for more children, pregnant women and adults
Increased crisis mental health services, suicide prevention, and substance use treatment
Improved quality of care for seniors through better funding for nursing home and in-home care
Provided a path to licensure for midwives to improve maternal health outcomes
Increased availability of affordable, accessible dental care in Illinois
Awarded nearly $95 Million to Equity-Focused Healthcare Collaboratives Across Illinois

Advancing Public Safety

In response to a surge of shootings in Chicago and other Illinois cities, launched the Reimagine Public Safety Initiative, a whole-of-government approach backed by an unprecedented $250 million commitment to reduce violence in Illinois neighborhoods
Enacted the most comprehensive reform to our state firearms laws in over a generation, including universal background checks on all gun sales in Illinois
- Illinois leads the nation in completing firearms background checks to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals
Implemented gun dealer licensing to eliminate straw purchases and reduce gun trafficking
Added hundreds of new troopers to the depleted ranks of the Illinois State Police
Nearly eliminated the years long backlog of rape kit evidence to deliver justice to victims more quickly
Strengthened the Illinois State Police Division of Forensics Services, committed to building a new state-of-the-art forensics lab, and introduced rape evidence tracking tool
More than doubled investments in programs to interrupt and prevent violence
Established an Office of Firearm Violence Prevention in the Department of Human Services
Installed hundreds of highway cameras and doubled Illinois State Police presence on Chicago area interstates in response to on-road violence
Adult-use cannabis tax revenue funded $80 million in grants to reduce violence and focused on communities harmed by violence, excessive incarceration, and economic disinvestment
Expunged minor cannabis-related arrest records for 500,000 Illinoisans, reducing barriers to employment, housing and professional licenses
Established the Justice, Equity, and Opportunity (JEO) Initiative, led by the Lieutenant Governor, to advance criminal justice reform and equity-focused programs
Delivered millions of dollars to local fire departments to purchase firefighting and ambulance equipment
Required all Illinois municipalities to coordinate 911 and 988 services, with the goal of responding to mental or behavioral health emergencies with the proper emergency care and reducing the danger to those in crisis and the burden on local police
Elevated and strengthened safety for first responders on state highways
Built and will open a new mental health treatment center for incarcerated individuals who experience serious mental illness

Serving Veterans and Military Families

Completed construction of Chicago's first veterans' home after years of delay by the previous administration
Fully funded the replacement of the Quincy Veterans’ Home to remove danger to veterans In residence
Made in-state tuition free for veterans at our in-state public educational institutions
Boosted military personnel transitioning back to civilian life by giving them credit for in-service experience so they can more easily get certifications for civilian jobs
Achieved one of the highest staff and resident vaccination rates for veterans’ homes compared to any private or public congregate care facility in the state

Supporting Vulnerable Communities and Working Toward Justice

Enacted historic Black Caucus reform agenda to dismantle racism in education, economic opportunity, criminal justice and healthcare
Launched comprehensive overhaul of DCFS to protect vulnerable children, and hired 860 new staff, including 514 new investigators, case workers, and other direct service positions
Made significant improvements in DCFS hotline, nearly eliminating delays for those reporting abuse and neglect — from 58% requiring callbacks in 2019 to less than 1% in 2021
Provided millions of Illinoisans relief from high interest on consumer debt
Increased funding and quality of care for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, increasing hourly wages for workers and reducing the waiting list for Home and Community Based services
Dramatically improved SNAP application processing; 95 percent of applicants are processed in a timely manner, up from 62 percent in January 2019
Allocated $40 million for new home buyers, providing down payments and student loan repayment assistance to working class families and communities of color across the state
Recognized Juneteenth as an official holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States
Launched comprehensive approach to fighting homelessness In Illinois
Enhanced protections for domestic violence survivors from retaliation by their abusers
Protected law-abiding immigrant families from Trump administration threats of deportation
Revitalized Illinois’ Immigrant Welcoming Centers, which had been decimated under the previous administration
Supported placement of 900 U.S.-allied Afghan refugees, providing interpretation services, mental wellness, job training, legal services, health screening and housing assistance
Eliminated driver's license suspensions for unpaid parking tickets and other non-moving violations

Reforming Government and Working Across the Aisle

Worked to restore the public’s trust in government by requiring greater disclosures by lobbyists and elected officials, prohibiting lobbying while working for government, and closing loopholes that allow bad actors to game the system
Hired the most diverse Executive Branch in state history
Hired the first Chief Equity Officer in the state’s history in order to take a comprehensive approach to diversity, equity and inclusion plans throughout state agencies
Reduced state pension liabilities by expanding state employee pension discounted buyout program
Protected workers with disabilities by prohibiting Illinois from entering into contracts under the State Use program with any company that pays workers with disabilities a sub-minimum wage

Pandemic Leadership and Recovery

Keeping People Safe From the Virus

Turned Illinois into a vaccination leader of the Midwest
Re-implemented masking requirements ahead of a late 2021 surge, leading Illinois to have the fewest COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths per capita in the Midwest by the end of 2021
More than 19 million vaccinations administered, two million of them at state-run mass vaccination sites and 5,500 mobile clinics
Vaccinated nearly 90 percent of Illinois seniors, and nearly three in four have received a booster
Among the 10 most populous states, Illinois has led in youth vaccinations from the moment the FDA authorized them
Implemented COVID-19 vaccine and testing requirements in healthcare, childcare, and education to slow the spread of the virus and protect vulnerable parents, teachers, staff and students
Focused on equity, ensuring residents of diverse communities have access to vaccine and testing
Among the first states in the nation to slow the spread of COVID-19 by introducing life-saving mitigation efforts, providing free COVID-19 treatment to any Illinois resident and free COVID-19 testing, with 34 million PCR tests now administered, leading the Midwest
Illinois tested resident’s 40 percent more per capita than the average Midwestern state
Deployed National Guard to work with local public health departments adding hundreds of vaccination sites in every corner of Illinois
Despite worldwide shortages, sourced millions of masks, gloves, ventilators and protective equipment from around the globe to protect Illinois families, healthcare workers and first responders, with Illinois Emergency Management personnel distributing an average of 1.2 million outbound items each week
Provided comprehensive daily public updates on vital information, including the latest science and developments regarding COVID-19
Implemented vaccine requirement at congregate facilities to protect people in the state’s care and custody
Expanded healthcare staffing by authorizing nearly 20,000 additional out-of-state and expired healthcare licensee workers to rejoin our healthcare ranks and fight back against the pandemic
To limit the spread of the virus, deployed resources allowing local public health departments to build contact tracing programs, which in 2021 alone conducted more than 1M consultations with people who tested positive and their close contacts in order to limit the spread of the virus

Supporting Children and Families with Safe Education and Childcare

Set the national standard to safely keep students in schools; CDC adopted the Illinois' "test-to-stay" model
Provided free COVID-19 testing access to all K-12 public schools and free masks for schools in need, to support uninterrupted access to safe in-person learning wherever possible
To overcome children’s learning loss, gave extensive expert guidance and best practices to K-12 schools, with specific recommendations for using additional $7 billion in federal aid
Launched a nationally recognized childcare provider pandemic support program, delivering relief grants to provide a safe environment for children for thousands of providers and allowing them to pay rent and workers during the depths of the pandemic recession
Awarded retention bonuses of up to $1,000 to Illinois childcare workers
Supported out-of-work parents by providing three months of low- or no-cost childcare to those looking for work
Reduced childcare co-pay for pandemic essential workers to $1 per month in the early months of pandemic
Provided pandemic relief for individuals with student loans

Sustaining Small Businesses and Protecting Jobs

Provided nearly $1 billion directly to businesses, especially those left out of the federal PPP program
- Sustained more than 9,000 small businesses in 2020 alone with $290 million in funding Boosted economic recovery of small businesses in 2021 with an additional $570 million
Opened seven new Small Business Development Centers to assist businesses applying for federal pandemic relief and to help businesses plan to meet new pandemic consumer demands
Dedicated funding specifically to downstate businesses, workforce recovery, and childcare for working parents
Initiated the COVID-19 Summer Youth Employment Program, helping low-income and disadvantaged youth develop workplace skills and gain employment experience
Provided business grants targeted to downstate agricultural businesses affected by COVID-19

Preventing Illinoisans From Losing Their Homes

Protected families suffering pandemic financial hardship from losing their homes with the nation’s best and fastest housing assistance program, providing nearly $2 billion to support renters and home owners
Prohibited evictions and vehicle repossessions for those suffering pandemic-related financial hardship
Prevented utility shutoffs for 115,000 homes and facilitated utility bill reductions of over $115 million
Expanded Low-Income Home Energy Assistance and Community Services Block Grants by $275 million to reach more than 289,000 families, with an additional $369 million launched in the fall of 2021 for utilities, other household bills like childcare and food, and a newly launched $40 million water bill assistance program
Created 3,500 new affordable housing developments with pandemic relief support

Serving Vulnerable Communities

Increased capacity and streamlined access to emergency shelter for individuals and families impacted by domestic and sexual violence during the pandemic
Expanded transportation, grocery shopping and meal delivery to tens of thousands more seniors during the pandemic
Sent one-time $500 payments to low-income families enrolled in TANF
Provided resources and assistance to local organizations serving our most vulnerable citizens
Provided unprecedented support for vulnerable immigrant and refugee families, including cash assistance, housing and utility assistance, employment and job training services, and healthcare education
Paid out over $36 billion in unemployment insurance benefits while stopping more than 2 million fraudulent claims

Preventing Hunger

Provided over 1.4 million Illinois children with over $1.8 billion in food relief through Pandemic EBT program
Helped school districts provide free lunch to eligible students during remote learning
Redirected $100 million from managed care companies to immediate community-based needs, like food banks and telehealth equipment to support residents during the pandemic
Expanded meal delivery programs for seniors, delivering nearly 1 million meals a month (including culturally appropriate ethnic meals) and worked with grocers to set aside special shopping hours exclusive to vulnerable older residents
Increased SNAP food assistance to low-income Illinoisans hit hardest financially by the pandemic

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