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Discussion: Upcoming Illinois Legislative Session, Gov. Quinn State Of The State

The Illinois State Capitol building in Springfield, Ill.
(via Flickr/jglazer75)
The Illinois State Capitol building in Springfield, Ill.

It's the start of Illinois' new legislative session, and Governor Pat Quinn laid out, yesterday, what he wants lawmakers to accomplish.  

In his fifth state of the state address since becoming governor, Quinn laid out a wide-ranging agenda which includes letting same-sex couples get married, raising the minimum wage, and prohibiting the sale of assault weapons.

Host Don Marsh talked with Illinois Public Radio/WUIS statehouse bureau chief Amanda Vinicky about the speech and politics in Illinois.

Quinn said, "We all weep over the senseless violence in our communities. But as elected officials we're in a position to do something about it.  We have lifesaving work to do. We cannot wait for another tragedy to happen before we take action."

While the governor touched on Illinois' pension debt, which is approaching $100 billion, he mostly repeated previous and so far unsuccessful calls for action. 

Pension took up only two-and-a-half minutes of his nearly 40-minute speech.

Many lawmakers said for all the ideas he threw out, Quinn's speech lacked substance and a plan for getting them done.

Illinois Public Radio/WUIS Statehouse Bureau Chief Amanda Vinicky contributed to this report.

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Alex is the executive producer of "St. Louis on the Air" at St. Louis Public Radio.
Mary Edwards is a producer for St. Louis Public Radio's broadcast program, "St. Louis Symphony."
Don Marsh served as host of St. Louis Public Radio’s “St. Louis on the Air" from 2005 to 2019, bringing discussions of significant topics to listeners' ears at noon Monday through Friday. Don has been an active journalist for 58 years in print, radio and television. He has won 12 Regional Emmy Awards for writing, reporting, and producing. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, was inducted into the St. Louis Media Hall of Fame in 2013, and named “Media Person of the Year” by the St. Louis Press Club in 2015. He has published three books: his most recent, “Coming of Age, Liver Spots and All: A Humorous Look at the Wonders of Getting Old,” “Flash Frames: Journey of a Journeyman Journalist” and “How to be Rude (Politely).” He holds an honorary Doctor of Arts and Letters degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.