Governor Pritzker celebrates 2025 accomplishments
Despite attacks from federal government, Illinois continues to deliver new economic opportunities, stronger education and healthcare, and essential civil rights protections
Throughout 2025, the State of Illinois faced new challenges. The federal government created chaos and uncertainty for the national economy, stripped away healthcare and food assistance from seniors and children, and attacked fundamental American rights and freedoms — but Illinois stayed focused on making progress and delivering real results for working families.
Despite this year’s challenges, Governor JB Pritzker continued to step up and fight for working families across the state on all fronts. From historic investments that strengthen our world-class economy to strides in affordability for healthcare, housing, and education, Governor Pritzker remains committed to making Illinois the best state in the nation for families, which included:
- Delivering a $15/hour minimum wage for Illinois workers.
- Lowering prescription drug costs for families and holding pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) accountable.
- Achieving the highest recorded high school graduation rate in 15 years and the highest public university enrollment level in a decade.
- Signing landmark transit reform legislation to give Illinois a world-class transportation system.
- Passing historic clean energy and power legislation that will help lower utility bills and grow the economy.
- Standing up to the Trump Administration’s attacks on freedom and stewarding resources responsibly amid federal economic instability.
“This year, Illinois doubled down on our work to improve the lives of hardworking Illinoisans that make our state the best in the nation,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “In 2025, we ushered in critical investments and improvements in infrastructure, education, workforce development, healthcare, and civil rights for working families statewide. In a year full of economic uncertainty and chaos at the federal level, I’m focused on protecting our state and investing in the safety, education, and well-being of the People of Illinois.”
2025 Executive and Legislative Accomplishments
Responsible Fiscal Leadership
- Passed the seventh balanced budget since Governor Pritzker took office.
- Received the State’s 10th consecutive credit upgrade from Moody’s Investors Service.
- Continued paying down debt and bolstering Illinois’ Rainy Day Fund to protect the state’s hardworking taxpayers.
Affordability for Working Families
- Reached a $15/hour minimum wage for workers across Illinois.
- Erased nearly $430 million in medical debt for more than 357,000 Illinoisans, marking one of the first and largest state-led medical debt relief efforts nationwide.
- Continued critical investments in Home Illinois.
- Celebrated the grand opening of the $20 million Sunnybrook housing development in Alton, reflecting investments in accessible housing for working families.
- Lowered prescription drug costs, expanded healthcare access, and held pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) accountable, signing the Prescription Drug Affordability Act and the Healthcare Protection Expansion Act.
- Helped hundreds of Illinoisans eliminate student loan debt and achieve the dream of homeownership through the SmartBuy initiative.
- Protected working families and businesses by directing state agencies to examine the effects of Trump’s tariffs on the Illinois economy.
- Signed an Executive Order to support farmers across Illinois amid federal tariffs.
- Called for transparency, reforms, and accountability from PJM, joining multi-state efforts to lower electricity costs for working families.
- Provided vital utility bill assistance to families through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
- Signed key legislation to streamline the college application process, eliminate unnecessary application fees, and expand dual credit opportunities for Illinois students.
- Awarded over $10 million in grant funding through the Illinois Grocery Initiative to address food deserts and prevent grocery store closures in Illinois. This included breaking ground on a new grocery store in Venice, supported by Illinois Grocery Initiative investments.
- Directed $20 million toward Illinois food banks in the midst of federal SNAP delays.
- Protected Illinois workers by signing a bill package to preserve pay standards and worker protections.
- Signed historic legislation to protect Illinois consumers from cryptocurrency scams.
- Held community roundtables with Illinois businesses, community organizations, and healthcare leaders to discuss the impact of food assistance cuts, Trump’s Tax on Working Families, rural healthcare access, and more.
Energizing the Illinois Economy
Breaking Economic Records and Encouraging More People to Choose Illinois
- Ranked 13th in the nation on CNBC’s 2025 Best States for Business — up from 30th just before Governor Pritzker took office. Illinois ranks in the top 10 for education, infrastructure, technology and innovation, and access to capital.
- Site Selection Magazine named Illinois #2 in the nation for corporate investments & re-locations for the third consecutive year.
- Earned two Top 10 rankings in Site Selection Magazine’s Best Counties in America for economic development list (Cook County, #5 and Lake County, #10).
- Achieved film production expenditures of $653 million in 2024 — the second-highest expenditure total in state history.
- Celebrated record-breaking tourism achievements — welcoming 113 million domestic and international visitors who spent a record $48.5 billion.
- Saw the highest state park visits in over a decade.
- Welcomed over 1 million visitors to the Illinois State Fairs.
- Celebrated Chicago’s designation as the Best Big City in the U.S. by the Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards for the 9th year running.
Securing Generational Business Investments & Historic Infrastructure
- Broke ground on the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) — a first-of-its-kind quantum industry campus that will drive billions in economic impact, create thousands of jobs, and cement Illinois as a global quantum leader.
- Broke ground on Wieland North America’s East Alton Facility, celebrating a $500 million investment that will retain 800 jobs and grow the clean energy economy.
- U.S. Steel announced it will restart one of its blast furnaces at Granite City Works, resulting in new jobs in Metro East.
- Stellantis announced a $613 million capital investment in their Belvidere plant, which will create 3,300 jobs in Illinois.
- Launched Surplus to Success program, the most significant investment in state history to make more sites across Illinois ready for business.
- Grew the Made in Illinois Grant Program to support small and mid-sized manufacturers across the state.
- Marked the early completion of Kennedy Expressway rehabilitation project.
- Announced the largest multiyear program to build and repair infrastructure in Illinois history.
- Signed the historic Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act, boldly modernizing Illinois’ transit system without raising statewide taxes.
Creating Jobs & Attracting Investment in Communities Across the State
- Chicago: Attracted new tenant commitments to the IQMP on the South Side, including Infleqtion and Pasqal.
- Chicago: Pure Lithium relocated its entire next-generation battery technology operation from Boston to Chicago, investing $46 million and creating 50 new jobs.
- Deerfield: Fortune Brands Innovations established Deerfield as their U.S. headquarters, creating 400 new jobs.
- Huntley: Silesia will open its second U.S. facility, investing $40 million and creating 41 new jobs.
- Normal: Rivian is constructing a new 1.2 million-square-foot supplier park, investing nearly $120 million and creating nearly 100 new jobs. Multiple Rivian suppliers have committed to Illinois, including Adient and OPmobility.
- Pekin: Epic Pharma Solutions Inc. will open its first U.S. facility, investing $25 million and creating 50 new jobs.
- Peoria: Damera Corporation will open its first U.S. assembly plant, investing more than $31 million and creating 90 new jobs.
- Rockford: Rockford Brake Manufacturing is reestablishing the company and reopening a historic Rockford factory, investing over $6 million and creating 150 new jobs.
- Tuscola: Cronus Chemicals LLC is constructing a new fertilizer production facility, investing $2 billion and creating 130 new jobs.
Investing in Illinois’ Unmatched Workforce
- Awarded over $19 million to 38 schools and organizations serving 1,900 people through the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program to build a pipeline of talent and increase access to good-paying jobs for historically underrepresented communities.
- Awarded $80 million in grant funding to bolster a diverse workforce in the clean energy industry through multiple initiatives under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act.
- Made critical investments in training centers and career readiness opportunities statewide, breaking ground on South Suburban College’s Allied Health & Nursing Center, TCCI Manufacturing’s Clean Energy Innovation Hub, IASTE Local 2’s new training center, and more.
Standing Up for Illinoisans
Empowering Vulnerable Communities
- Empowered disabled workers by phasing out subminimum wages with the Dignity in Pay Act.
- Signed a first-in-the-nation Executive Order protecting the civil rights and privacy of autistic people in Illinois.
- Protected autistic Illinoisans from unauthorized data collection.
- Celebrated the grand opening of the new Illinois Veterans’ Home at Quincy.
- Cut the ribbon at the new Philip J. Rock Center and School, the only publicly funded residential school for deaf-blind children in the nation.
- Celebrated the opening of a new enclosed arena at Giant City Stables, which provides therapeutic horse-riding services for youth, veterans, and people with disabilities.
- Devoted resources to investigations of internet crimes against children by signing Alicia’s Law.
- Signed the Illinois Statewide Trauma-Informed Response to Human Trafficking Act, marking a multi-agency effort to better identify, protect, and support human trafficking survivors.
- Launched IL Pride Connect, a resource hub and legal hotline for LGBTQ+ Illinoisans, in partnership with IDHS, the Legal Council for Health Justice, Equality Illinois, Lambda Legal, AIDS Foundation Chicago, Brave Space Alliance, Alma Chicago, and Pride Action Tank.
- Launched the Illinois Immigration Information Hub in partnership with IDHS, City of Chicago’s Office of Immigrant Migrant and Refugee Rights, NIJC, ICIRR, and TRP.
- Stood up for LGBTQ+ youth access to crisis services and preserved the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline amid federal cuts.
Defending Illinoisans Against Aggressive Federal Actions
- Signed legislation to enact protections for immigrant communities at day cares, state courthouses, hospitals, and universities.
- United a coalition of business, education, faith, public safety, civil rights, and other community leaders to denounce Donald Trump’s plan to deploy military troops to Chicago.
- Informed Illinoisans of key developments as the Trump Administration attempted to invade Illinois, including Trump’s plans to deploy federal agents and his unconstitutional efforts to deploy National Guard.
- Convened a group of distinguished former military generals, leaders, and veterans to hear their expertise on Trump’s threats to deploy troops to U.S. cities.
- Established the Illinois Accountability Commission (IAC) to hold federal immigration enforcement agents accountable for misconduct in communities throughout the state.
- Met with undocumented students, immigration community leaders, educators, and more to hear their perspectives in the midst of the Trump Administration’s attacks on Illinois immigrants.
- Created the BRIDGE Fund to help cover short-term emergencies brought on by Trump’s economic policies and indiscriminate efforts to deny states the money they are owed.
Supporting Affordable and Accessible Healthcare
- Expanded vital vaccine access for Illinoisans.
- Launched the Behavioral Health Care and Ongoing Navigation (BEACON) care portal to support Illinois families seeking youth mental health services and care.
- Released the Illinois Birth Equity Blueprint to improve maternal healthcare and equitable birth outcomes.
- Signed legislation to provide cost-free mental universal mental health screenings in Illinois public schools.
- Strengthened reproductive healthcare access, making contraception and medication abortions more accessible in student health centers and protecting medical providers.
- Joined the Governors Public Health Alliance to protect Illinoisans as the federal government dismantles public health infrastructure.
- Protected Illinois patients by prohibiting AI therapy.
- Launched the newly formed Division of Behavior Health and Recovery to unify mental health and substance-use services across Illinois.
- Announced a decline in opioid overdose deaths across the state — the first decline since 2018.
Historic Investments in Education
- Increased Monetary Award Program (MAP) funding by $10 million to help approximately 8,400 more grants to be awarded for college students.
- Celebrated the highest recorded high school graduation rate in 15 years.
- Currently leading the nation in class of 2026 high school senior FAFSA completion.
- Achieved the highest public university enrollment level in a decade.
- Achieved the 4th consecutive year of community college system fall enrollment growth.
- Directed historic funding to Illinois colleges and students through key grants, scholarships, and workforce programs.
- Continued to be a leader in childhood education — ranked 4th in the nation.
- Established the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Schools Program, a state-level model of the prestigious program canceled by the Trump Administration.
- Celebrated the 10-year anniversary of Illinois’ Seal of Biliteracy Program, with a record-breaking 17,111 students receiving the multilingual proficiency recognition.
- Hired 12,000 new teachers and lowered the teacher vacancy rate through the Teacher Vacancy Grant Pilot Program.
- Celebrated 60 years of the Illinois Community College System.
How he can call himself a governor or leader of the people I have no idea. He bought his position from the very beginning, and he’s still there. People of Chicago keep voting that P** in maybe one of these days they will learn. God help us.
He doesn’t do for the people of Illinois he does it for his own self-gratification which is nothing.
[Editor’s note: This comment has been edited with foul language and irrelevant name-calling removed. It is our policy at the IBJ to not publish inappropriate foul language and irrelevant name-calling.]