Illinois Governor Delivers State of the State Address
By: Shalah Sasse
Updated: February 6, 2013
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn made his State of the State speech Wednesday. Quinn touched on the state's financial problems, the pension crisis, school safety, and civil unions. Governor Quinn proposed raising the minimum wage to $10 an hour. It's something that has a lot of people talking in the small town of Grayville.
Whether you're filling up a shopping cart or your gas tank, people in Grayville, Illinois say it's hard to make it, if you only make minimum wage. In his State of the State Address, Governor Pat Quinn says over the next four years, he wants to raise the minimum wage to at least $10 an hour.
"I think it should've been raised four years ago. My opinion, $8.25, I worked it for two years at a place and it was very hard and I'm a single parent," Brandon Elliott said.
The Governor also addressed the threat of gun violence, saying the state must prohibit the sale of military assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. The Democrat says if there is one thing we can learn from the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, it is that we can never rest when it comes to school safety.
"Yes, that's very important. I have grandchildren and I would like to think that they can be safe in school and anything to do for that would be great," Charlotte Fisk said.
"We're not an Illinois of 13 million individuals, each going their own separate way. No. We're a community, a community of shared values," Governor Pat Quinn said.
But many people in this town say they would like to see Governor Quinn visit the southern Illinois counties.
"Big men up there in our government is only concerned about Chicago, Chicago and they don't care about southern Illinois and little bitty towns," Darrell Neal said.
"I've not seen Gov. Quinn in any area I've ever been in. I've seen him on TV," Elliott said.
"No, I have not, just on TV," Fisk said.
Illinois is also moving closer to legalizing same-sex marriage, a measure Quinn supports. Senate Bill 10 was passed by the Illinois Senate Executive Committee. It now goes to the Senate. A vote is expected next week.
Whether you're filling up a shopping cart or your gas tank, people in Grayville, Illinois say it's hard to make it, if you only make minimum wage. In his State of the State Address, Governor Pat Quinn says over the next four years, he wants to raise the minimum wage to at least $10 an hour.
"I think it should've been raised four years ago. My opinion, $8.25, I worked it for two years at a place and it was very hard and I'm a single parent," Brandon Elliott said.
The Governor also addressed the threat of gun violence, saying the state must prohibit the sale of military assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. The Democrat says if there is one thing we can learn from the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, it is that we can never rest when it comes to school safety.
"Yes, that's very important. I have grandchildren and I would like to think that they can be safe in school and anything to do for that would be great," Charlotte Fisk said.
"We're not an Illinois of 13 million individuals, each going their own separate way. No. We're a community, a community of shared values," Governor Pat Quinn said.
But many people in this town say they would like to see Governor Quinn visit the southern Illinois counties.
"Big men up there in our government is only concerned about Chicago, Chicago and they don't care about southern Illinois and little bitty towns," Darrell Neal said.
"I've not seen Gov. Quinn in any area I've ever been in. I've seen him on TV," Elliott said.
"No, I have not, just on TV," Fisk said.
Illinois is also moving closer to legalizing same-sex marriage, a measure Quinn supports. Senate Bill 10 was passed by the Illinois Senate Executive Committee. It now goes to the Senate. A vote is expected next week.
