Hi Marshall--

Today, I had the honor of being sworn in as Illinois’ 43rd governor. I was proud to share my vision to work together to create another century of boundless opportunity and fulfill our state’s possibility and promise. At 200 years old, Illinois is still a young promise.

Our time here has been but a blink. In 2019, we must begin a new century with new maturity – and enough foolishness to believe we can make a difference.

Our history is a story of leaps forward and occasional stumbles back – and a promise renewed with each generation that we will try harder, that we will do better, that big breakthroughs are built of centuries of selfless effort by unheralded heroes.

That big change rides on what we can do together, not what one person attempts alone. That’s the Illinois I see – one of possibility and promise. That’s the Illinois I know, one whose people are fearless and audacious.

That’s the vision I have for our state – another century of boundless opportunity. Thank you, Illinois, for your faith in me. I promise to live up to it every day.

Together, let’s go into this new century with enough faith to help each other out of our troubles, with enough foolishness to believe we can make a difference in the world, and with enough kindness to find the courage to change.

Thank you,
JB Pritzker



MARSHALL,

I’m proud to share that this week, the City Council unanimously passed sweeping legislation to require large employers to guarantee fair, predictable scheduling for hundreds of thousands of hourly workers in our city.
While laws like this have been passing in cities around the country, I’m excited to tell you that we are leading the way, passing the broadest Fair Workweek ordinance anywhere and that we are the first city to include healthcare and manufacturing industry workers in our law.

When I became mayor, I made a commitment to working families all across Chicago to fight to pass the Fair Workweek ordinance, in part because I understand on a personal level the harm that unpredictable or abusive work scheduling practices can do to working families.

I grew up in a family impacted by unpredictable work schedules. My mother worked the night shift as a nurse’s aide, and my dad worked multiple jobs to help put food on our table and keep a roof over our heads. Even as a child, I worried about my mother’s safety during those late nights.

I am lucky to have been raised in such a loving household. But looking back, I see how much harder unpredictable work schedules made it for my parents to support, care for, and spend quality time with their children.

I’d like to thank our partners in the labor movement and our city’s business community for coming together to find a thoughtful compromise on this ordinance and agreeing on a plan that is fair to both workers and employers.

Congratulations to all sides involved with the negotiations for finding a solution that improves the lives of Chicagoan's. This is a great step forward for workers and provides some peace of mind for them and their families.

Onward,

Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot