Rep. Sandack Reacts to Rauner's State of the State Address

In response to Governor Bruce Rauner’s State of the State Address on Wednesday, State Representative Ron Sandack (R-Downers Grove) has issued the following statement:

“For the last 12 years, we have seen our Governors present fairy tale versions of the State of Illinois. Today we listened to a State of the State speech that was not sugar-coated in any way. Our governor presented a sobering account of our state’s challenges and expressed a desire to tackle them head-on.

“As a champion for the consolidation of units of government, I was pleased to hear that consolidation is a priority for Governor Rauner. The DuPage County model has achieved an estimated $100 million in taxpayer savings, and I hope to see that effort extended statewide so that taxpayers everywhere can experience tax relief.

“Governor Rauner’s comments about the need to reform our workers compensation laws were on point. It’s refreshing to have a chief executive who recognizes the shortcomings in our laws and who is committed to making Illinois more business-friendly.

“The Governor’s ‘empowerment’ theme was very welcoming. I applaud his desire to empower the people of Illinois so they can control their own futures. Especially with regard to giving local voters the ability to control collective bargaining issues within their own units of local government and providing a choice regarding union membership, these are refreshing ideas and I look forward to learning more about them.

“Today marked a true starting point for bipartisanship in the General Assembly. Governor Rauner extended the olive branch and I expect we will see some respectful give-and-take as we begin to consider new legislation and spending priorities.”