>> Hello and thanks for joining us for this W T Tw News special.

I'm Brandis Friedman tonight we hear from candidates for Illinois governor and discuss the ideas and priorities they would bring to the office.

>> A few notes before we begin.

This is not a formal debate.

There will be no opening or closing statements.

Answers will not be timed rather.

I will use fairness as my guide in leading the discussion.

We ask that the candidates answer the questions to the best of their ability and try to keep their answers brief so that we can cover a lot of ground if they begin to filibuster or make campaign speeches, I reserve the right to politely cut them off.

Also, we welcome public radio and television viewers from around the state who are listening and watching on their local stations.

In fact, later tonight, we'll be joined by Brian SAP of W SIU and Carbondale and Mark Wealth Awt VP in Peoria who have recorded questions, especially important to our audience is in central and southern Illinois.

Joining us now are Republican nominee for governor of Illinois, Darren Bailey.

And Democratic nominee for governor of Illinois.

Jb Pritzker also on the ballot is independent candidate Collin Corbett.

Gentlemen, thanks to you for being here.

First, let's start with following federal Medicaid cuts to safety net hospitals into the Chicago area have closed down.

Cook County Health is facing a 138 million dollar drop in revenue in rural parts of the state where travel times to maternity wards can already reach over an hour.

8 were all hospitals are at immediate risk of closing.

We raise this question because the 2 journalist that we also just mentioned have also asked questions about this very issue.

So it's clearly something that many people in the state are experiencing not just world or Chicago, Illinois.

First to you, Mister Bailey, what would you do to keep these facilities open?

Well, it's becoming very apparent across the state of Illinois that, you know, >> medical care is is a high concern with our aging population and and it's a concern for southern Illinois as One.

And, you know, I like to look at and can consider JBS term as the governor realizing that he sets with the super majority of The big question is why are having these problems?

Why why is this an issue and and you know, I'm sure somewhere along the line.

The federal government and President Trump, you don't probably have something to do with this in his mind and and by the I'm I'm I'm going to be counting how many times he address us President Trump tonight for the beating audience at home.

Fill up your here.

A glass of water.

Your iced or lemonade.

Every time mentions Trump.

let's take a drink because it's time for Governor Pritzker to own the failures and the problems Illinois because theoretically 8 years in the super majority, we shouldn't be dealing with these issues.

So we have need to reprice.

We need to prioritize.

Our spending is as simple as that.

We started off when I for state representative, our budget was at 32 billion dollars today.

It's at 56 billion dollars.

Every people in Illinois are struggling.

Money is being grossly mismanaged will get a little bit of that later.

But it's simply a reality of priorities and correct spending instead of wasting our future Mr.

Parker.

Well, your question was about what's happening to the state of Illinois is a result of snap.

>> Cuts and cuts to Medicaid.

And as mentioned, we're seeing literally almost a dozen hospitals threatened with closure.

Many of them downstate some of them in the city of Chicago.

And it's because 500,000 people are being pushed off of Medicaid 120,000.

People are losing their snap benefits.

We have a real challenge when the federal government takes literally billions and billions of dollars away from the people of Illinois.

Now what Darren Bailey is not saying to you is how he has pushed back.

He has not.

He thinks it's OK, he sat silently.

Well, Donald Trump has taken these things away from people in the state of Illinois.

I think people deserve health care.

I've been fighting for universal health care.

I think people who are most in need the most vulnerable in our state need their snap benefits.

It's not much money, but it helps people survive, especially.

Families with children.

>> So let's let's move on to education, the current Chicago Public Schools budget relies on an additional 150 million dollars in state funding.

First to you again, Mister Bailey said the General Assembly prioritize education funding for this ongoing school year either for CBS, Chicago, Public Schools districts in the upcoming veto.

I think accountability and transparency and a proven track record.

The very fact that we can go to our this Illinois State Board of Education's website.

And by the way, the governor picks and chooses.

>> Who serves on that board so they want will have a we'll have a new edge.

Illinois State Board of education of competent people making, you know the right decisions.

But unfortunately, you know, JB Pritzker has changed the dynamics of funding of education.

He even alluded to that in his state of the State address in January said under his 8 years that public education is funded at the state level on an all time low because he continues to pull the rug out from under schools.

And and when he does that schools have a choice to make they they they fire teachers.

They kept programs or they raise property tax.

Why on Earth do you think that here in Illinois were paying some of the highest property taxes in the nation?

So I think first about we've got to we've got to be real about our expectations and education.

So if you go to the Illinois State Board of Education's website, you'll find out that the majority of our students across the island, we can't read right and the math at grade level more money's not always.

The problem is matter of fact, last government might have a lot to do with that allowing local school boards and local communities decide how they want to educate their children And on top of that, there's money sitting in Washington, D.C., right now.

It should be coming into our educational program.

We hear Mr.

Pritzker continually talk about the fact that the President Trump won't release those findings.

Well, I don't believe that Mr.

Richards applied for that yet because when you apply for that, it works like a grant program.

And you have to show where the money's going.

And it's interesting because in the last few months, New York, New Jersey and Colorado say they applied for that many and they they received it.

But and he told us that sounds like you're referring to that federal scholarship tax credit program.

>> That was passed on the money.

That should be coming more money.

That should be coming l noise as it were taxed were taxed too much.

It's too expensive to live here.

Now.

I know our schools are failing.

There's no doubt about that.

Our schools shouldn't be failing, but they are at a really failing after the last 8 years of Governor Pritzker's term.

So it sounds like you think no General Assembly should not.

More money is Marty and where we need to come up with a plan.

We need to put competent people into these places of the state Board of Education, competent leaders continuing to fund funneled money without any accountability.

It's wrong and it's failing us.

It's failing our children.

It's failing our future, Mr.

Parker.

Well, apparently Darren Bailey wasn't listening to my state of the State address because he got it all wrong.

In fact.

>> We've increased funding for education across the state by 3 billion dollars per year because it's so important for us to keep up with other states and make sure that we're educating our kids properly.

Let me be clear.

We currently school system Pre-K to 12.

That is 5th in the nation.

5th in the nation are only 4 states that are better than And 45 that are worse than us.

And we've got to make sure that we maintain that and improve.

I want to be number one.

It's not good enough to be 5th.

And I want to point out that our 8th graders are currently scoring in math where we were at when I took office who are at 22nd in the country for 8th grade math scores were now 5th in the country in 8th grade reading scores.

When I took office, we were 15th in the country are now second in the country.

So it's true that money isn't everything, but we need more teachers.

I've improved funding for teachers specifically so that we now have a better student teacher ratio in our schools.

And it's one of the reasons why our education system is doing well across the state.

Could we do better?

Absolutely.

Do we need to fund our schools fully?

Absolutely.

Darren Bailey also mentioned property taxes.

And let me be clear.

Property taxes are set at the local level.

And when Darren Bailey had the opportunity, he raised property taxes 13 times.

They're only 13 opportunities to to Texas are in career in Toronto, drugged out tell the truth.

they wrote of a nation website and your that does not prove and show you I tell.

They are going out there and finish Darren, understand that.

When you interrupt me, it doesn't make what you're saying.

True.

I think voters that people listening, the trees.

>> You're interrupting again.

People listening need to hear what we have to say on the issues and you'll get your chain, which you've got.

You had your chance on the subject.

Let me just be clear.

13 times he voted in favor of raising property taxes.

81% is how much property taxes went up when he had the opportunity.

I've never They Laredo.

That's why you're So that said, Mister Pritzker in this upcoming veto session, though.

Do you think the General Assembly should allocate either the 150 million dollars that Chicago public schools is banking and or more money for all school districts coming up for the full year.

One of the challenges that we have faced in this state has been that I got left by the last Republican governor.

>> A situation in which we had massive deficits.

We having our credit rating go down down down 24 times over the prior 15 years and over the last 8 years, I have balanced the times.

You've gotten 12 credit upgrades.

We have a whole lot more work to do.

There's no doubt about it.

But making sure that we're being fiscally responsible is hugely important.

We raised funding for schools across the state in this last budget.

The one that we're in now, 300 million dollars.

Now, that's important to remember as we're doing that every year because we need to catch up in school funding.

But we can't just magically come up with 150 million dollars when one school district or another asked Okay.

So operates 8 M R respond to that.

rally.

The reality is why are we sitting on a record high budget per capita know why?

Why does Illinois had the highest property anyone in the nation?

It's completely inaccurate that you more money is the problem in that you sir, you're wasting our children's future and it's obvious everyone is wondering going to give you a second to respond to that because there will be an opportunity to talk about statewide budget.

Go ahead.

Property taxes are mostly set by school boards, Darren Bailey's, when they have an impact, your 10 get to a board.

Have you I think people want to hear what we have to say.

So you can have your opportunity in a minute.

But let me be clear.

He served on a school board for 17 years.

13 of them as the leader of that school board and voted 13 times to raise property taxes.

That's where property taxes are raised.

I have tried to alleviate property taxes by funding our schools.

More 3 billion dollars more year.

So there is far more.

There is more time to talk about this.

And of course, the state right budget.

But I want to go, as we mentioned earlier now to Brian SAP, a reporter and producer.

>> At public Station Wsi you in Carbondale with another question on school funding.

>> Thanks, Brandis.

Governor Pritzker, Mr.

Bailey despite annual state increases to the evidence base funding formula.

The state superintendent recently reported that Illinois remains years away from me reaching its 90% funding.

Adequacy goal here in Jackson County.

The latest state data shows Carbondale High School in Carbondale Elementary are among the farthest from adequate funding in the entire state even further behind than they were 5 years ago with local and state budgets stretched.

Then how your administration accelerate the timeline to fully fund schools like Carbondale that are lagging behind.

>> Mr.

Pence going go to you first on that one bank.

You the most important thing that we can do is to make sure we're balancing the budget and running surpluses.

Why so that we can put money into our schools so we can hire more teachers so we can improve our education system.

That's what I've been doing year after year after year.

We need to do even more of it.

We need to reach 90% adequacy.

That's the term that's used in the evidence-based funding model.

And we need to the persistent about this.

Remember the last time a Republican as governor, they were taking money out of the education to because they weren't balancing the budget.

We need that budget balanced in order to be able to pay for the things that were defunded, hollowed out under the Republicans.

Darren Bailey wants to take us back to the time when Rauner was in charge, we would have deficits.

We would have our credit rating going down.

That's what Darren Bailey has in mind.

Mr.

Bailey.

Well, it's interesting because the very question from Jackson County School suggests that were not up to par like JB.

Just said that we were.

We're lagging our education system is.

>> Failing the points made clear evidence-based funding not working because evidence-based funding suggest that more money is the answer.

I just find it absolutely ludicrous that you would say and try to contend that the bat budget has been balanced.

The budget has not been ballots in over 50 years.

2 to over 200 billion dollars in pension liability.

We look at the state across the border at Indiana there sitting on a 5 billion dollar surplus.

have a 1.5 billion pension deficit and we're setting almost 200 Million.

I don't people realize that or not, but in order to to call the budget balanced, just push off the pension deficit and you put the you put the retirement of our state workers at risk.

When you do that and Mr.

Pritchard doesn't seem to care about that.

All right.

Let's get into the budget.

I like to talk about the budget I make just in response to this because its credit rating agencies that independently evaluate each state.

>> They're the ones who determine that we have, in fact, balance the budget.

Darren, Bailey's math just doesn't add up.

The reality is that if your balance the budget and you run surpluses, you can pay for the things you need.

He always talks about how great, Indiana as it seems like he loves Indiana more than he loves Illinois.

In my view, we've got to make sure that we're doing everything we can to balance the budget order to pay for the things that we really care about.

There's a lot let's get Let's talk about 11 on because they're moving out.

said that's what we want leave.

So OK, Mr.

Bailey, your Brew blueprint for Illinois.

It calls for an Illinois do to sort of modeled after the federal government's Department of Government efficiency which cut government jobs.

>> Canceled contracts and rescinded grants.

What do you hope a department like that would accomplish little government efficiency?

So what I hope that when I turn my Lieutenant Governor and Belmar loose on on opening this budget gap and finding the spending no longer will we be spending 3 billion dollars on people who are here illegally giving him free.

>> Shelter and free insurance and free housing at the expanse of of our veterans and our senior citizens.

No longer will be given 200 million dollar grants to JB Pritzker's own personal high McCormick Place for a for remodeling grant.

No longer will we be spending 80 million dollars for Illinois government oversight group based out of Kansas, the state of Kansas.

That doesn't even exist.

The waste that exist, the waste that this man has has used and exuded over the last 8 years.

It's enormous and it's pathetic.

Nobody can open this.

I served a term as a state rep and term as a state senator and 2 in the morning.

You're given this budget 5,000 pages and you're told to pass even the Democrats themselves don't know what's in there.

It's time for a forensic audit.

It's time for accountability, transparency.

The people of Illinois want to know where their money is coming from and where it's going to.

And they are going to be a pub when they see the waste, our growth.

Our future is and what he has been wasting for 8 years.

Mister Pritzker's.

But before and before you before you respond to that, the state budget is at 55.9 billion dollars.

Is there not room for cats?

>> Let me just respond to a couple of things for first of all, a lie after lie after lie.

This is the Trump playbook.

That's what you're hearing up there in Bailey.

And let me be clear.

Also that Darren Bailey voted against balance budgets every single year because it and he about my character, he attacks me by saying that, I don't I don't own any Hyatt stock.

I don't own any of hi.

He just lies about this and he's repeated it over and over again.

It's another Let me tell you the truth.

He's impugning my character.

He's attacking me and my integrity.

So I want to tell people who I am.

I'm somebody who fights for expansion of health care.

I think everybody should have a doctor.

I think we need universal preschool.

I've been fighting for that my entire time in office and we're about 2 years away from attaining fully universal preschool.

And I've been making sure that we lifted wages for people across the state.

I voted and signed a bill that I pushed for to raise the minimum wage, Darren Bailey voted against it.

He wants to lower Is fungi want to raise your Did I want to raise your wages?

And I want to cut costs.

It and all of that.

Mister Pritzker.

Is there.

Do you believe that?

Barrett, every 50, every dollar of the 55.0, 9 billion dollars has a home.

There no room for.

>> Cut.

Yeah.

Let let me begin with you.

Just responding to that idea.

First of all, I have been focused on making sure we balance the budget and so are discretionary spending in the state has been below the inflation rate.

You know, inflation affects everybody, including it affects the state budget.

And I've tried to keep and have kept discretionary spending below.

Now what I think Darren Bailey doesn't understand is that we have pension obligations.

I believe that that is an obligation that we must meet.

It's a promise to people who work for the state.

We have to make sure we're paying on that promise have also been doing everything I can to bring down our pension liability.

But how much?

But, know, started out has become over well.

I will tell you if you're very interested, I'll be happy to share with you.

That the pension funded ratio in the state of Illinois.

And when I took office was just below 40%.

We've now raise the pension funded ratio.

That's the percentage by which we're almost a 50%.

we have a long way to go.

But the point is it was heading the other direction.

When I took office.

I think we need to be responsible with our dollars.

Darren Bailey does not fact checking that when there's time because that pension is not at 20%.

That's ridiculous.

All right.

And amendment to establish a surcharge on incomes over a million dollars.

The so-called millionaires tax did not make it onto this year's ballot.

>> In Twenty-twenty voters did not approve an amendment that would have established a graduated income tax, Mr.

Bailey, should the state consider other options for raising taxes on high income earners?

We need to live within our means and we need to spend responsibly and cut the wasteful spending that we've been witnessing over the last 8 years.

You want to tax the tax people of the means.

Go ahead.

You what's going to happen?

They're going to move out of state just like Ken Griffin did just like many others we saw JB staying at a Caterpillar plant.

And he was asked about people who are moving out of this state was his response.

>> You want to move out of Don't we?

Go ahead.

That's all right.

That mindset is dangerous.

If we continue to to to tax the rich, that's a socialist mentality and we can't afford to do that.

We need job creators in Illinois.

We need to be growing our business instead of pushing people with means out of the state.

Jb Pritzker is one of those people.

I know he said he's been willing to tax themselves.

I've wondered if he voluntarily goes ahead and pays what he thinks is fair into taxes.

I'd say he probably doesn't Mr.

Pritzker.

Well, when I propose that we lower taxes for working families and ask the wealthy and the big corporations to pay their fair share.

>> Darren Bailey voted against that.

I think we should be fighting for working families.

We should be fighting for the middle class which we fighting for the most vulnerable.

He has worked against that every time and he raise property taxes again, 13 times on people and every chance that he's had he's voted against, for example, when we cut taxes for families with children.

And when we eliminated the grocery tax, all of that era the grocery tax.

You moved it to a local trauma it.

I think it's only fair to point out the Darren Bailey did in fact, vote against lowering your state grocery tax.

And who here in Illinois can afford is not suffering from the high cost of living.

It's don't here and tell us if you've made it easier, you have it.

You've made it difficult.

And everybody in the state, especially our friends in Chicago, are suffering today more than they've ever Safford.

smiling only because it it while a laugh.

That's rise.

I wish I stop interrupting.

I do think people out here we have to say.

>> You are lying once again and once again, mayor had with lower taxes, going to get into second to respond to them.

when we had the opportunity to lower taxes for working families, Darren Bailey voted against it and several times I might Okay.

So I want to go.

I want to move on to our next topic.

We're going to go to.

>> Mark Wealth, a producer and host at Public television station, WTVD P and Peoria.

Here's a question about Illinois Agriculture.

Thanks.

Brandis.

The latest extension of the 2018 farm bill recently expired.

>> The bill covers everything from rural development and conservation to trade and commodities.

What changes or updates would you like to see in the next farm bill that would benefit Central Illinois farmers.

Mr.

Parker.

>> Well, let's start with let's do something about high cost of diesel in this country because of Trump's Iran war because during Trump's trade And let me be clear.

Darren Bailey has cheered that on the entire time.

The farm bill also needs to include and increase in SNAP benefits instead of taking it away from the 120,000 people who really need it.

That is, by the way, where the snap benefits come from the AG Department and the farm Bill and Darren Bailey doesn't apparently think that's important.

The porous people in the state need to be able to eat while they're trying to figure out how they can make ends meet and get a job.

And I think we shouldn't punish them.

That is what Donald Trump and Darren Bailey want to do.

They are simply taking funds away from people who really need it and giving the largest tax breaks to the wealthiest people in the entire country, Mr.

Bailey well, so here's the difference in all this.

As a farmer, we've been without a farm bill for a long time, even under most of the Biden years.

But I'm not running for president like JB Pritzker I'm running for what I can do.

This governor here in the state of Illinois.

And if we want to talk about what farmers need in the state of Illinois will.

>> How about the inheritance tax?

You know, every year, every year there's even Democrats that signed to do away either eliminate the inheritance tax.

what.

Here's the shame of Illinois.

You work your life to 2 to acquire farm land or a home or a business.

And then you turn around because of high property taxes that have become risen to the top of the nation the last 8 years.

You basically rent it from the governor, a government and hope you can hang on to it.

And then when you pass away, you want to send it down to the next generation.

You get hit with an inheritance tax.

You usually have to give about another 20 or 30% back to the government.

The the federal level is a 14 million dollar level here at the state of Illinois.

Its 4 million dollars.

I've got 2 farms families that I farm for that in the last 15 years have struggled after they after the hierarchy of the farm passed away in past down and didn't have an estate plan, they almost lost their farm.

You care about family farms are still way with the estate tax.

That's something that we can do immediately to help farmers here in Illinois.

Well, then you should have come out in favor of the Family Farm Preservation Act, which I am in favor I believe we should lower estate taxes years in the state.

Do it.

You think you can do without the legislature, you're going to sue perhaps or And I'm going get there is not, you You haven't gotten a bit out favor of the Family Farm Preservation Act.

Are you in favor of you?

Cole said are you in favor since are you would?

I need to read it.

I mean, questioning loaded with Family Farm Preservation Act, lowers the estate taxes for farmers at all.

that's the right is that all in there?

>> And if it's a one I know you're concerned if you're here is that was the year.

That is what that Bill does and Republicans are in favor of it and Democrats are in favor of it.

I mean, it's no wonder that Jim Durkin, the leader of the Republicans in the House endorsed me and says he's not qualified to be governor.

He really you're master.

bills that get put up before the legislature.

Look, I'm flattered that you think that I could get elected president the United States, but I'm running for re-election.

As Governor Hochul and the pass I believe that we need to fight for the working families of this state.

We need to lower the cost of health care.

We need to continue to cut their taxes, including property taxes as I have for seniors and Veterans and Inc and make sure that Darren Bailey does not get elected because he wants to roll the red carpet out for Donald Trump.

A cocaine is terrible.

Action also done and I won't be talking about it 8 years later.

Thank you.

I do want to keep this conversation going because we've got another question from my colleague Mark wealth in Wt VP in Peoria.

>> Tariffs levied by the current administration raise costs for the average Illinois household by more than $2200.

According to the Midwest Economic Policy Institute.

With more than 40% of the agricultural production from Illinois going outside the country.

What steps would you support to address the tariffs and their effect on central Illinois residents, especially farmers.

>> Mr.

Bailey, all come to you and I well, I think we're all ready for the tariffs to end.

I think we're ready for the war in Iran to end.

But these questions, this sounds like this is a a this is a debate about the presidency of the United States with President You know, that's that's something that the president deals with.

We need to be focused on what we can do here in Illinois and that furnaces of the president have always had an impact on the people of individual states have been not.

Well, I will tell you this that farm income as a whole was was at a low and lower during the Biden years, especially as the nobody was talking about that.

Then Mister Pritzker wasn't mentioning that the lowest that we've seen commodity prices was the 4th year of President Biden's term.

So right now, today, they're beginning creep back up.

So we need some trade is out of balance.

And when trades out of balance, it hurts our.

It hurts the farms that hurts our commodity trade.

You know, I like to tell people I you know, being farmer, you're you're relying on God and your relied on the government.

You've got I've got wait for the rain and wait for the weather.

And then depending if I grow a good crop or not, then then that determines the supply and demand of what we have to export or what we had to use for animal feed.

And and I really, you know, a lot of people realize that I don't have a choice really on how much my product at the mercy of what the government establishes.

>> Through the Ultimately, that was the real purpose of these tariffs because agriculture is not the only industry being affected by this.

So, you know, I again, my guests up at night, my of the situation with Indiana know Governor Braun came out 2 days before DC came out and gave farmers a break at the with Pharm D saw and the sea came out with it.

And still about 2 days later before the governor of Illinois came out and agreed with this and allowed farmers a bright, there's a lot of things that we should be doing.

>> I'm going to share knowledge ing that.

In fact, we have lower diesel prices for farmers across the state of Illinois.

We also provided a lower interest loan program for grain silos and other capital investments that farmers are making its true farmers have been suffering for years.

Now, but it's worse now than ever before.

we have more bankruptcies happening then has happened in many years.

That's happening not just in Illinois, but all across the country.

And I want to just point out you know, Daryn, likes to talk about the amount of money that people are owed for, you know, tariffs and guess what?

They haven't been getting that money back from the government in Donald Trump lost at this radar went.

$2200 was owed to every working family in the state of Illinois.

They have not received a dime of it.

Now, by the way, families are out about $3300 per family.

And I want to Desronvil's never spoken up at all against Donald Trump's policies.

So while he's hurting your neighbors, data app.

So there you go.

All right.

All right.

So let's let's talk about Illinois Tollway board.

They voted unanimously to raise tolls to fund capital improvements on the roads.

>> Would there be Mr?

Bailey starting with you with there have been any way to raise those funds without passing the cost on to motorists.

again, we're assuming the solution to every problem in Illinois is more money.

Let's don't forget that that the tollway board is handpicked by the governor.

So the Missouri Mr Pritzker's people that he that he has on those patronage positions.

Every year that the toll way has been in existence.

They've profited there right now sitting on about 3 billion dollars.

And and through this process, we learned that there's 7 billion dollars of debt that no one was talking about.

These tolls were supposed to be free by 1973 and instead.

>> We just kept it going.

So so here's what's happening.

This is another tax increase this increase because commercial traffic was increased by 30%.

Commercial traffic makes up about 13% of the actual traffic.

However, it makes up 50% over half of the revenue that's brought in for the tollway.

So so all and I'm having a conversation with someone down in southern Illinois and they were just, you know, that telling me that, well, what takes place on the tollway doesn't affect me.

And I said, listen, everything that comes across those tolls, price is going to increase by 30% because that's what that's the No, we don't need.

We need responsible government.

It was a promise.

I believe in that that government sets the biggest problem.

That's why people are losing faith in government because they don't keep their word.

You know, when JB rain 8 years ago, he ran on think big.

We didn't realize that he was talking about bigger taxes.

Had we known that it might have changed the outcome of the election going to get him into a chance to respond.

Now, Mister Pritzker.

Sure.

I want to point out what we needed when I took office was to fix the roads, fix the bridges, fix the airports, fix the river ports all across the state of Illinois and bring broadband to rural Illinois.

And guess what?

We passed a bill to do exactly that.

A bipartisan Bill, Darren Bailey voted even against that.

55% of those dollars in that infrastructure Bill, go to downstate Illinois.

Those roads, there are many, many roads and those are what allow farmers to get their goods to market.

I think it's hugely important for us to stand up for our largest industry in the state agriculture and by fixing the roads by fixing the bridges were allowing them to get their goods.

It final thing I want to say is tollway hugely important to make sure that we've got commuters that are able to get from the suburbs to the city and from the city back to the suburbs and you've got to pay for these things.

Somehow.

Darren Bailey doesn't seem to agree with that.

In fact, if he had his way, we wouldn't be fixing any of the roads because he does that make it 0.5 billions from Southern Illinois, Senate's for the seat you're interrupting.

Is that what to tell everybody?

The whole story tell things building roads, free.

It's not free.

We all have to pay for it.

But you know, who's paying for the people who actually drive on those toll roads?

Okay.

So I want to shift the conversation to energy the climate and Equitable Jobs Act put Illinois on a timeline to transition to 100% clean energy by the year 2050, however.

>> The Illinois EPA projects the state is not currently on track to hit that goal at the same time, Illinois is expected to see energy shortfalls between 2029 2031.

Mr.

Bailey to you first.

How should the state balance its energy needs with the planned phase out?

Fossil feels first bout with responsible governing.

So again, I voted no for that.

And what people don't realize.

>> He's they need to understand why I voted no, because when you when think this beautiful picture of what you think this bill is about, clean energy sounds great, doesn't it?

But it doesn't work for us.

And and as a matter of fact, literally on my way here tonight, we're receiving warnings across Illinois to watch your energy usage because this recent spike in warm temperature could very well cause some serious power outages.

All across the we've we're phasing out reliable energy, far, too saying have no problem with bringing on what we suppose this clean energy.

But we all know the wind doesn't always blow and the sun doesn't always shine.

And and we need to be talking about our our future.

You know, with what the ad.

But with JD bringing these these data centers and free rein, give them tax breaks, let them have their thing.

And and now all of a sudden we've seen we've seen energy prices spike on that day that I announced that I was running for governor in that in September in a restaurant in Carterville, Illinois, that very morning of the day before that the owner had received her utility bill and she brought out to me.

That's a small restaurant is over $4,000.

And she had heard July statement that was less than half of that.

We've got senior citizens on fixed incomes all across the state, scared to death to open their next utility bill because it keeps climbing so we need to we need to set reset the moratorium and keep reliable energy falling.

When I got elected as a state representative in 2019, we were a net exporter of energy.

That's no longer the case because of the failures of his planning.

There is no there is no planning.

There is no future heat.

He's looked at this.

He's failed to bargain.

Our needs and that we were still producing the energy.

But it's going outside of our state weren't able to use it.

That's a serious problem.

Call the General Assembly into session and you can change the rules with a super majority and fix it.

But you won't do it.

We are a net exporter of electricity.

He's just dead wrong as you lying that again.

Now electric bills are too high across the state while it's happening all across the country.

I we have more energy being drawn off, then we should were still exporting more electricity than we use in Illinois.

But I believe that we should have no more data centers unless they bring their own clean energy and bring their own closed-loop water systems and let local governments and people living will.

That is because I have you whether or this wild day.

>> Want a Du College, their local communities.

put a bill forward.

In fact, I'm advocating for a bill we're negotiating right now for the November session that's called the Power Act.

I tried to get it passed in the last spring.

Didn't get it done.

We're going to get it done in November to do exactly this.

Darren Bailey has no plan like that.

And let me be clear.

Just a month or so ago, he said we need the data centers.

He wants more data centers.

it does not want to there's ways physically and debate.

voted against the climate equitable which lately?

Yes, Carl Levin problems that we have because you didn't read it and don't understand if we had not done that 2 nuclear power plants would have been taken offline.

2 and we have now kept them on line.

We're seeing upgrades of them and solar and wind power added to the grid.

In fact, when we're all done with this 17 gigawatts of new electricity will be brought.

If you want to bring bills down more electricity on the grid and the 2.4 billion dollars of rebates that we negotiated in CJ A which are going back to our electric rate payers.

That's going to continue for years to come.

So we don't need more nuclear energy.

We don't we don't need that.

I'm going to get Iran moved to the moratorium you.

energy prices started spiking and siege.

It proved to be a failed.

It's been jury of 8.35, years.

for OK, we're going we're going to pause on that part of this conversation because we're going to go on to other topics because for a question about mental health services.

>> Here again is Brian SAP from Wsi you in Carbondale, Brian.

The states plan to restructure the show mental health and development center involves closing 2 key units and transferring residents to other state facilities.

>> For many families in southern Illinois, this means traveling up to twice as far 3 facilities are already operating full capacity.

How you expand mental health and developmental disabilities services here in southern Illinois.

So patients aren't forced to travel hours away for care.

>> Mr.

De Leon, go to you on that one first.

So mental health is a access to mental health is a problem all over this state.

I say it for a year and that as a state set for at a term as a state rep and a term as a senator and and I watched Mister Pritzker stand up and whatever the situation was today, where we're putting another 100 million dollars towards mental health.

But here's the vast reality is.

Nobody knows where to go to get help and actually, so he comes to Southern Illinois and wants to shut show facility down to 1200 bed facility.

By the way, there's been over 50 million dollars spent on renovations in just the last few years that he a parade.

He wants to shut that down.

He wants to move everyone up here hours away from family and friends down South.

You stood there and you called for the closure of show facility.

And not only that, here's something a lot of people don't realize and I think it's very important to take a look at this as we take ticker jails here in Cook County.

So in 2021 that, you know, the safety Act basically emptied out the jails.

They were almost 6,000 inmates here today.

Those jails are almost full again with over 5,000 inmate.

And these aren't just inmates being held because of the crime they're being held because of mental health reasons.

Go talk to your sheriffs and department about these jails.

These these are law enforcement people who serving as mental health people.

They're not qualified.

It's wrong.

People in Illinois need help.

But there is nothing at all being then what do you think should be done?

what I think allowing show in southern Illinois instead of closing it down and hurting the economy, even more in.

>> And get you right now.

There's like 400 manatees wanting to cut that in half.

Let's get that back up to protection there.

Several mental health facility sitting around the state that have been closed for years.

There's no attention being given to this.

It's just been talk and that's why there's a problem.

Well, I think what Darren Bailey is trying to say is it's OK with him that the patients that showed.

>> Who are being abused by the workers there, that it's OK for that to continue.

I took that on and we tried to fix it and found that the personnel just wouldn't stop doing it.

We saw repeated instances of You know what I said at the very beginning that if we could not fix it because the personnel weren't fixing themselves were being fired or laid off.

We needed to close that facility.

And I followed through on my promise.

That is the right thing to do.

Now.

I've invested across the state and in particular, in southern Illinois, for rural mental health and invested mental health treatment and substance.

Use treatment.

Vitally important for a variety of reasons.

People deserve to have the care.

He does not believe in universal health care.

I do.

I think you should have that available to you if you need it.

And very importantly, if you talk to police officers, they will tell you that 50% of the people that they end up having to take in and put in jail or people who are harming themselves or possibly harming somebody else because they have a mental health or substance use treatment problem we need to end have been diverting those people to actually get treatment in order to keep them out of jail and also keep them off the streets so that police officers are not having to do that.

We think I believe that police officers to be focused on violent crime and not on mental health patients.

Okay.

So we're we've talked about we brought in public safety to the conversation, of course, because it has been 3 years since Illinois abolish cash bail with the Pretrial Fairness Act, which is part of the safety Act.

>> Mr.

Price, go to you first.

How would you assess the safety x impacts so far doesn't need changes improvements.

Always open to the idea of changes.

But let me be clear about some of the things that we're doing in fighting for public safety.

>> It's my top priority.

It is a vital part of what it is to live in the state of Illinois to make sure that we have more police and I've invested in state police.

Darren Bailey voted against it to make sure we have community violence interruption programs which Darren Bailey once again voted against and the prior Republican governor decimated and a ban on assault weapons.

Because I don't think that's something that can fire has happened in Highland Park shoot.

48 people within 60 seconds.

That's not a weapon that I think should be on the streets.

Darren Bailey has no alternative.

She has no answer to public safety except he thinks more guns on the streets is the answer.

Mr.

Bailey, I think what you're hearing like I said regarding Second Amendment regarding these f situations that show, if that's what I've witnessed from the 4 years that I was in Springfield, anytime there's a problem you don't deal with the problem.

You just you just create this new broad program that doesn't work.

So, you know, it's interesting because the Cook County prosecutor right now who's a Democrat, says the safety Act isn't working.

that's public statement.

>> You've got to dozens of people right now today.

So so that so the answer was let him out on jail and put an ankle monitor on him.

And one of those people found you know, found their way in and Mr.

Pritzker's backyard.

Thank goodness.

No one was was hurt.

And you know, he was let go again and told not to go back in his backyard.

Let's let's not forget that you've got dozens of people today who you are, who are charged, the defendants who are charged with murder, attempted murder.

The have ankle monitors that roaming the streets.

You've got to dozens of people under a couple 100 people actually who have assault.

You've got 300 people who who are completely missing.

And so this is the problem that this isn't this isn't working.

And as a matter of fact, I don't think a lot of people even know they get 2 free round days every week they get to take their ankle monitor off and roaming around freely due to the safety act.

So yes, something has to change it.

I think the biggest problem with the safety Act.

I think we need to repeal it.

And I think we need to come back to the table and at that table will have law enforcement and we'll have the state's attorneys available because you want to something they were not available when they negotiated it and the dark of night.

Okay.

just an early very briefly, Thank you.

I'll just say.

>> Darren, Bailey's answer to this is to go back to a system where the most violent criminals can buy their way out of jail.

I don't think they should be able to.

I think judges and prosecutors auto decide whether or not someone should be let out in the community or not.

And in fact, now that the community, if there is danger to the community or danger to anyone in the community, they ought to be kept in jail.

That is what the Safety Act allows.

And then one last thing.

Have you been victim right work?

was variance.

Katie Abraham, can you say that?

Yeah, I there and tell if you're going to interrupt, let's let let's take let's not have discussion.

Let's not have a day bury their wives or debut are not I would like to respond to that.

If I really believe this is very important.

>> Let me begin by saying that, you know, Daryn Daily likes to exploit people's pain for political gain.

That is why he mentions everybody's now Moyes.

I've been fighting violent crime and making sure we have more state police making sure we have programs that will divert people away from.

>> Jail in order to put them in mental health programs and mental health programs that will keep them out of trouble.

Here's the thing.

That is most important to me at this.

Our families in our communities need to make sure that we've got the kind of police.

We've got the programs we get, the crime criminal started.

The community violence interruption programs available.

And then, you know, again, he's only answer is more weapons on the streets, OK?

So Mr.

Baillieu called for the state to repeal sanctuary state policies and or the trust Act.

>> Absent a new state law for their actions that you would take as a governor to undo those policies?

Well, I I want to make it a point.

You know, he talks about the safety issues.

He comes here tonight with that a security detail of a 15 officers.

That's a little bit of an overkill on us.

It's not true political outside.

Let's can we got 15 officers here in your detail.

And as a matter of fact, when we don't about it all comes together.

I want to talk about safety because this man ridiculed and made and made some terribly dangerous marks about the the Christian school that Cindy and I helped and we've been receiving threats online from that school, putting children in danger.

We had to close the school for 2 days.

We asked for help.

We then state police, I guess, are still looking into it.

But >> every state police officer I talked needs help the trust act, the trust act with the trust act does.

And in the sanctuary city policy allows the governor to tell state and local law enforcement to stand down.

So that's why that's why federal law enforcement had to come to Chicago to look for the most violent of oppressors.

And it didn't go very well.

There mistakes made, especially when our governor stood up and and rally the people to go to the streets and push back and and then create division that there's something wrong with that.

What if we can even we can't local and state law enforcement today out people know this cannot look for and apprehend the most dangerous people who are here illegally.

That needs to stop.

But that's JB Pritzker's world that we live briefly.

Let's step back for a moment and recognize that Republicans and Democrats have failed on immigration for far too many years.

We need solutions to these problems.

But there was a solution in 2024.

That was brought up by a Republican that had bipartisan support.

But it was Donald Trump who said Brink, walk away, walk away for Republicans.

And so there was no bill passed to secure the border and to have immigration reform.

Darren Bailey cheered all that on.

And then what happened as a result, Donald Trump then chose to senator that masked gunman.

In unmarked cars into our neighborhoods and tackled U.S.

citizens and people who are legal.

And yes, some undocumented people, but they were people who had not committed violent crimes.

I do not think that is the country that any of us want that he should, by the took down people who work in care of U.S.

citizens who are black and brown people who speak with an accent or speak another language.

I don't think that's right.

I think it's wrong.

And Darren Berry Sarah Davis at local and state law enforcement should be doing the job.

But rain out ad in the times help in the state of Illinois.

You now it's certainly government road.

All the that for this next question ask you both to promise to keep it short.

The Bears.

>> leadership team, they say that they're still focused on a stadium in Hammond, Indiana.

First to you, Mister Pritzker.

What state resources are you willing to commit to keep the Bears in Illinois and where do you draw the line?

Here's principle.

Number one.

>> A billionaire family owning a 9 billion dollar value team does not need us to buy them or build them a stadium.

On the other hand, I believe they are a private business just like many others.

And we provide like we do for private businesses all over the state infrastructure.

That means utilities underneath the ground.

That means roads.

That means bridges.

Those are all things that we're willing to invest in.

And we, in fact, have put all that on the table.

And as you saw, we had a meeting not very long ago with senior leadership of not just the Bears, but also NFL and the leaders in the Legislature.

And I believe that in November we're gonna be able to get something done to keep the bears in the state of Illinois.

But I'm not going to do it at the expense of the taxpayers.

I'm just glad I'm not going to be known as the governor that loss the Bears.

You want to know why he's going to wait to November because the Bears are going to Indiana.

That's the problem.

>> He he could.

Again, they came out with Solutions, Inc, mission for it towards the end of session.

It's already been a Governor Braun's assured me of that.

when the bear owners came to the owners, not anybody, not legislators, not other parties.

When they came to talk to you 6 years ago, you run West content.

You're in Florida.

You are anywhere.

But Illinois they couldn't find.

Today.

Went to talk to our state General Assembly latest.

Nobody was there.

So so, no, I've been very clear tax payers in Illinois need relief they're getting we need to be doing something on utility bills on property taxes, on the gasoline tax.

Why on Earth can you drive across into Indiana?

And it's $1.28 They are question.

What would you what would you do?

Well, we outline actually put out a plan and it's it's called the I formation plan.

It's a starting point.

You know, my baby prince have to go.

But I I like out what I do.

I go forward.

when you bargain for a car, you know what it's like.

He doesn't, you know, you hear the price and then you negotiate.

We've got to start somewhere.

But unfortunately, that's not taking place now of the pressures content to let him go and he's content announce that after the election.

another short answer from you, data from Illinois.

Realtors shows the median sales price for homes in Illinois has increased 4.8% SATs since last year.

>> And nearly 30% since 2021 and in 2025 the Illinois Economic Policy Institute found the state would need to build 227,000 units over the next 5 years.

In order to keep up with demand, Mr.

Bailey, to you first.

How would you address these rising costs of home ownership?

>> Well, we need to lower property taxes and we need to let people be having the confidence to go in build.

But unfortunately, we're losing people.

I think I think that's attribute to the fact that people are Lenawee when they leave Illinois, they increase our tax burden when they leave Illinois.

Obviously there's there's more available.

People are moving out of the city's into the 8 moving out of the suburbs downstate.

They're doing all doing it because of affordability.

So we deal with property taxes.

You know, JB Pritzker put out this build actor recently and he tried to force these these multi unit homes anywhere they wanted to be built within municipalities and local mayor said, no, we're not doing that.

the keystone to this whole program.

It was reducing regulations.

Let's reduce regulations.

Let's make it easier for businesses get government out of this.

Let people rent their home delivery.

Didn't read the building initiative.

It is in fact about reducing regulation.

But let's go back to Let's do that.

we do Bailey is saying that people are leaving the state or that somehow the jobs are leaving.

We have more people working in the state of Illinois today than we've ever had before.

>> And people are earning more than they ever have before.

And it's because from the very beginning, worked on the door making sure we attract businesses to the state and we have done and we've grown businesses in the state who translate Rivian Caterpillar, which he likes to talk a lot about increased the number of jobs by a couple of 1000 during my term in office, IBM, these 700 billion dollar companies have come to Illinois just in the last year.

I think it's important to recognize that what Darren Bailey's doing is supporting Donald Trump in making it harder for us to bring businesses to the state harder for us to attract people to the state because he's raising costs and lowering wages.

So Hatteras in Thailand by what it is and indeed just a couple minutes left.

Mister Press go to you first.

>> You recently launched a 20 million Dollar Pack tough and Democrats in congressional races around the country.

In recent months he made appearances in Texas and South Carolina which a field questions about whether you plan to run for president in 2028, why should voters trust that you are committed to being governor of Illinois?

>> Well, remember the reason that I have traveled the country is because it's good for Illinois.

If we can elect a Democratic Congress in Washington.

So they have taken away snap benefits and Medicaid.

And we've seen huge losses for states all across the country as a result of what Donald Trump is doing, if we can elect a Congress that will actually stand up and checks and balances.

We need some checks and balances against Donald Trump.

That is why I've gone to places like Texas and I've gone to places like Arizona because I want to make sure that those candidates that are standing up against Donald Trump and for working families get elected.

Mr.

Bailey, did you see the same thing?

When I was in Texas, Dallas had 14 cranes putting up buildings that's not taking place yesterday while and we're also they're attending the Republican midterm convention.

President Donald Trump says that he's quote all for your campaign.

>> If you are elected governor, how would you align your administration with the Trump administration as well as the National Republican Party?

I will work with whoever is president to make sure that we get the best for Illinois right now.

That's not happening.

You know, it's interesting on on that.

I was there over here in the south and West sides within a week of the storms coming through.

I was there at the request of of people in the community because they're governor had not shown up yet.

You want to what happened within days after I showed up in the press came in.

>> And made mention that we were there.

The governor finally shows that I sent a letter to Washington about the same time that the governor of Indiana August 15th.

I sent a letter asking for FEMA funds to be to be sent the you know, when their governor sent that letter, it was just a few weeks ago.

There is massive failure.

And then he probably wants to tell us that you know, Washington is not sending any FEMA friends just like he wants to tell us that Washington is not sending any money for education.

And once again, it is unfortunately.

>> Once you've got one sentence, one thing you should know is Darren Bailey doesn't understand the process getting to know him.

And you've got to declare disaster got to apply player.

And there is all the time that we have.

Our thanks to candidates for Governor Darren Bailey in JB Pritzker.

Best of luck to you both on the campaign trail and our thanks to our partners at Wsi you in Carbondale Wt VP in Peoria and to all of our listeners and viewers in Chicago.

>> And all around the state of Illinois for joining us.

Tonight's forum will be available in Spanish on our website starting Wednesday night.

So please help us spread the word to those who'd be interested in watching.

And joining us one week from tonight at this same time we'll have candidates running for U.S.

Senate to replace longtime Senator Durbin.

And you can get Chicago tonight streamed every night on Facebook, YouTube and our Web site W T Tw Dot com Slash news.

You can also get the show be a podcast and the PBS video app now for all of us here at W T Tw Newsom.

Brandis Friedman, thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> Closed captioning is made possible.

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