Governor's
Monthly Newsletter
This electronic newsletter is an opportunity for you to learn more about
what we’ve accomplished in Illinois government, and how you can get
involved. Whether it’s volunteering in a Serve Illinois volunteer project,
receiving state services, or learning about new laws and programs, I want
to ensure that you know what’s happening in your government.
If you have ideas for improving any State service, program, or this very
newsletter, please click here and
let us know.
Sincerely,
Pat Quinn
Governor
Featured
Articles
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 Exactly
five years after taking office during an unprecedented triple crisis of
government corruption, economic collapse and financial instability,
Governor Pat Quinn delivered his 2014 State of the State, laying out a
five-year blueprint for jobs and economic growth in Illinois. The
Governor's blueprint calls for creating more jobs, making early childhood
education a top priority and building an economy that works for everyone
-with specific measures to get the job done.
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On January 28, Governor Pat Quinn announced emergency actions to
alleviate the short supply and high prices of liquefied propane gas and
heating oil in Illinois. The actions make it quicker and easier to
transport these fuels from other states into Illinois. Governor Quinn has
issued a disaster proclamation to allow Illinois licensed truck drivers
to travel through other states to obtain these fuels and deliver them to
Illinois without applying for additional licenses. In addition, the tax
for out-of-state trucks that use Illinois roads is being temporarily
suspended by the Illinois Department of Revenue for trucks that are
delivering heating fuels to Illinois.
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 On
January 31, Governor Pat Quinn joined AT&T Illinois to announce the
communications company’s plans to create about 200 new jobs across
Illinois. The jobs include retail staff and technicians. The new jobs
will be located in cities throughout Illinois, including Chicago, Aurora,
Elgin, Buffalo Grove, Northbrook, Libertyville, Champaign and
Springfield. AT&T currently employs more than 14,000 workers in
Illinois. Those interested in learning more about AT&T job
opportunities or seeking to apply online can visit www.att.jobs.
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 On
January 19, Governor Quinn continued his drive to increase the minimum
wage in Illinois to at least $10.00 an hour. In honor of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr., Governor Quinn stated at a church on Chicago’s south
side that an increased minimum wage is a key weapon in the “War on
Poverty” along with the Earned Income Tax Credit and decent affordable healthcare
for all.
In Illinois a fulltime minimum wage worker makes $16,600 a year which
is below the $19,530 Federal Poverty Threshold for a family of three. 60%
of minimum wage workers in Illinois are women and some 600,000 Illinois
women would benefit from an increased minimum wage.
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On January 9, Governor Pat Quinn announced the state will appeal the
decision made by FEMA to deny the state’s request for federal assistance
to help local governments in Champaign, Douglas, Grundy, Massac,
Tazewell, Vermilion, Washington, Wayne and Woodford counties from the
deadly storms on November 17.
The more than $6.1 million in damage created by the tornadoes is short
of the federal threshold for Illinois of $17.8 million, which is based on
the state’s population multiplied by $1.35. Governor Quinn stated that
his administration will work to develop a strong appeal that demonstrates
how much the assistance is needed in the areas affected by the tornadoes.
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On January 6, Governor Pat Quinn was joined by key state emergency
officials to provide a comprehensive update on the state's response to
the historic winter storm and freeze. Governor Pat Quinn implemented the
State’s Continuity of Operations/Continuity of Government Plans
(COOP/COG). This inter-agency plan ensured the continuation of delivery
of critical state response services during the severe winter weather
conditions, while ensuring the safety of the state’s workforce.
The Governor also activated the Illinois National Guard to help
emergency crews across the state provide assistance during the bitter
cold and dangerous weather conditions, which included a hazardous
combination of black ice and snow drifts.
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On January 3, Governor Quinn opened more than 100 warming centers
throughout the state to help Illinois residents cope with the bitterly
cold temperatures this winter. The Governor urged residents to be
cautious when going outside and to be aware of the serious health
problems that can result from prolonged exposure to the cold.
For more information on how to best handle the cold weather or to find
a warming center near you, please call the IDHS hotline at (800) 843-6154
or visit keepwarm.illinois.gov.
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 On
January 14, Governor Pat Quinn joined EquiTrust Life Insurance Company to
announce that the company will be opening new offices in Illinois that
will create 200 jobs in the coming year and could potentially employ
hundreds more in the coming years. EquiTrust will open their first
Illinois office in Chicago.
For more information on why Illinois is the right place for business,
please visit Illinoisbiz.biz.
For additional information on Magic Johnson Enterprises or EquiTrust
Life Insurance, please visit www.magicjohnson.com
or www.equitrust.com.
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 On
January 14, Governor Pat Quinn joined Chicago’s leading hub for digital
startups, 1871, in honoring 26 alumni companies for their astonishing
success and impact on Illinois’ economy. Together they have created more
than 300 new jobs and $10 million in revenue. 1871 has become an
incredible resource for the technology industry in the Chicago area while
at the same time creating jobs and growing the state’s economy.
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 On
January 22, Governor Pat Quinn for the second year joined leaders from
DHL Express and Pizzas 4 Patriots to send 10,000 Chicago-style deep dish
pizzas to troops overseas in time for the Super Bowl. Governor Quinn
stated that Pizzas 4 Patriots is a great way to help honor the troops by
giving them a small reminder of home. The pizzas will be delivered to
troops in Afghanistan, Kuwait and Oman.
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 On
January 16, Governor Pat Quinn encouraged hard-working families across
Illinois to apply for Illinois’ Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Last
year the credit helped more than 900,000 families receive $160 million in
tax relief. In 2012 the Governor fought for and signed legislation that
doubled the value of Illinois’ EITC. For more information about the EITC,
please visit EITC.Illinois.gov.
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 On
January 18, Governor Pat Quinn joined the Serve Illinois Commission in
encouraging people across Illinois to take part in the Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. Day of Service on January 20. Governor Quinn believes that one
of the best ways to honor Dr. King’s legacy is by serving others. For
more information on volunteering in Illinois, please visit: Serve.Illinois.gov.
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On January 23, on behalf of Governor Pat Quinn, Illinois Housing
Development Authority (IHDA) representatives joined Cook County Board
President Toni Preckwinkle and other public-private partners to celebrate
the grand opening of Grove Apartments. Grove Apartments features 51
one-bedroom apartments for people earning 50 percent or less of the area
median income (AMI), or $25,350 for individuals.
For additional information about Grove Apartments, please contact
Interfaith Housing Development Corporation of Chicago (IHDC) at (312)
274-8200 or the Oak Park Housing Authority at (708) 386-6061.
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On January 21, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA)
announced a new round of $6.1 million in federal funds to help low-income
homeowners, including seniors and persons with disabilities, afford the
necessary repairs to stay in their homes. The Single-Family
Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation (SFOOR) program will ensure that 148
homeowners can keep up with necessary but costly repairs and will keep
communities strong by stabilizing neighborhoods and creating local
economic activity. The grant money will be available to homebuyers in May
of this year.
For more information about the program, please visit www.ihda.org.
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On January 12, Governor Pat Quinn saluted Illinois’s grain farmers for
a highly successful 2013 crop production. Illinois led the nation in
harvesting soybeans at 462 million bushels, 51 million higher than any
other state and 20% higher than 2012. Corn production rose 63% compared
to 2012, with more than 2.10 billion bushels harvested, the third largest
in state history.
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During
the polar vortex earlier this month, the Illinois Department of
Transportation (IDOT) used social media to get the word out about the
dangerous conditions. Safety is IDOT’s number one priority. It is
critical to its mission to spread safe driving messages and alerts as
quickly as possible when inclement weather strikes, to ensure the
motoring public is informed.In addition to Facebook, IDOT uses other
social media networks including Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, and YouTube to
help get the word out about winter weather and IDOT programs and
initiatives. IDOT also has a free email service called “IDOT in Motion”
which lets you select the IDOT news updates you want to receive.