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JB Pritzker: “Our pensions are in a better position today than they were…”

Featuring: JB Pritzker, Democratic | Governor of Illinois

Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview

Published October 21, 2025 | Video Starts at 53:51

So we've made a ton of progress. We have balanced budget seven years in a row. Hasn't been balanced for 20 plus years before that. Our pensions are in a better position today than they were when I took office. Where, where we've moved from like 39% funded to 48% funded. That's, I mean you might say, well, gee, that's not great. Well, it was going the other direction when I came into office. (53:51–53:56)

CLAIM

Asserts that Illinois pensions have improved since he took office.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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JB Pritzker

“We had $17 billion of unpaid bills, overdue bills, and I think the days payable was like 250 days payable when I came in.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 36:13-36:26
“We're now, FYI, at about 15 days payable.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 36:28-36:32
“We have more jobs in the state of Illinois than we've ever had before.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 54:22-54:26
“Illinois's 8th graders were 22nd in the nation for math among the 50 states [in 2019]. Today we're fifth in the nation in math.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 54:44-55:00
“We were at 15th in the nation for reading scores, 8th grade reading scores [in 2019]. We're now second in the nation for 8th grade reading…”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 55:04-55:17
“I'm really proud of the execution of the Democratic National Convention back last year.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 01:08-01:17
“There's only really one city in the entire country that has had multiple conventions in a row, and that's the city of Chicago.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 02:16-02:28
“We've had more conventions than any other state.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 02:28-02:31
“I'm running for governor of Illinois.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 02:57-03:01
“20% of [the people of Illinois] live in the city of Chicago.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 05:08-05:11
“Chicago is, of course, an economic engine for the state, and so it needs to be nurtured in that regard.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 05:11-05:17
“Most of the state is farmland and rural area, 75% of it.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 05:43-05:50
“It's important that Decatur does well and Springfield does well and Quincy.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 06:01-06:08
“Our state police are stronger and larger today than they were when I took office.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 12:07-12:13
“I followed a Republican governor under whom the Illinois State Police was diminished.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 12:12-12:19
“ICE [is] breaking all of the protocols and rules that normally apply to police in this country.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 12:45-28:05
“This administration that is arresting people for the color of their skin.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 16:00-16:05
“This president is breaching the Constitution virtually every day.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 16:58-17:02
“He's never lived up to any agreement that he's ever made.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 17:01-17:05
“When you stand up and speak out, you are going to be subject to the criticism and the whims of a, you know, a very vindictive president of…”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 20:28-20:39
“Troops possibly being on the streets for the elections in 2026.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 20:52-20:57
“Democrats are not for open borders.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 25:53-25:56
“You don't have a country if you don't have a border.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 25:59-26:03
“We haven't had comprehensive immigration reform.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 26:10-26:13
“The president said he was going after the worst of the worst. ICE says they're going after the worst of the worst.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 27:21-27:28
“I criticized President Biden. I wrote a public letter about it when it was happening during his administration, that we needed to do more…”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 28:19-28:36
“The Republicans have never proposed this under Donald Trump. He wants to do something about immigration. He should have come into office and…”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 29:08-29:22
“I am absolutely foursquare opposed to a head tax for the City of Chicago.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 30:30-30:35
“When I came into office and I spent six and a half years trying to turn that reputation around, balance our budgets, attract businesses…”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 30:58-31:09
“Donald Trump has done to all of the states now is forced us because he's foisted upon us new expenditures that used to belong to the federal…”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 32:31-32:43
“For the state of Illinois, that's going to turn into several billion dollars that they are foisting upon us as things like SNAP and…”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 32:48-32:57
“Balancing the budget for the state of Illinois, for the city of Chicago, vital, can't be ignored, has to be done, shouldn't be done with a…”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 33:08-33:20
“It got passed nearly unanimously with a veto proof majority.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 34:28-34:33
“These are the things that were promised to police and promised to firefighters. We already delivered for the firefighters.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 34:40-34:48
“We paid literally, I think we're at 12 or $13 billion of, of debt that we paid off.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 36:47-36:53
“We had no short term debt in the state.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 37:03-37:07
“I've paid more into the pension system than is required by law.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 37:13-37:18
“A pension amendment, which by the way would be unconstitutional and was ruled as such.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 37:49-37:55
“Democrats introduced a bill that would require independent commissions for every state.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 40:22-40:28
“Republicans all voted against it, and it didn't become law.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 41:01-41:06
“Democrats and Republicans would talk to one another, would work on bills with one another, would pass things together [in Illinois before…”
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“Republicans and Democrats voted for a bipartisan budget, voted for a bipartisan infrastructure bill [in Illinois in 2019].”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 43:25-43:34
“The President of the United States turned everything into using COVID-19...weaponized Covid into a partisan issue.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 43:43-43:50
“The federal government basically walked away from an important project that really would bring the city closer together.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 45:21-45:29
“You can't build it without the two plus billion dollars that was supposed to come from the federal government.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 45:45-45:51
“The federal government is walking away from...projects that were in Democratic states.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 46:00-46:31
“We need reform in the way that [transportation] is governed and that is going to be part of a bill.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 47:06-47:12
“Vital for all of the businesses of the state of Illinois, all of the economy of the state of Illinois is dependent on having great…”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 48:42-48:54
“The taxpayers should not be left on the hook for the debt that came from building Soldier Field.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 49:29-49:35
“The Bears are a wealthy family-owned, successful franchise.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 50:38-50:46
“We have balanced budget seven years in a row.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 53:45-53:48
“We've moved from like 39% funded to 48% funded [pensions].”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 53:55-54:03
“We have a two and a half billion dollar rainy day fund.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 54:15-54:19
“We're ranked by US News and by CNBC as one of the top five states or one of the top state, maybe seventh, I think in, in US News for, for…”
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“We're I think number two in college readiness in Illinois according to US News.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 55:20-55:41
“For six and a half years I've been in office, we were trying to count how many months during that time have we lived in precedented times?…”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 56:07-56:20
“We had a budget crisis. We had Covid crisis, migrant crisis, Trump crisis.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 56:27-56:33
“People in Illinois want to dump on Illinois for their political benefit, they think. And it is not nearly as bad as people think.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 56:51-56:59
“You all are creating jobs and you're growing the economy.”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 57:03-57:07
“I think that more money, you know, more money made by all of you, more jobs you create, that's good for everything about the state of…”
Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview | Uploaded October 21, 2025 | 57:20-57:29
“Let's also stand up for the most vulnerable and the working class and the middle class. We can do all those things at the same time. Indeed…”
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