What the Governors’ Meeting means for Illinois Citizens

 

What the Governors’ Meeting means for Illinois Citizens

 

By Derrell Green 

Citizen DTU Intern


It is normal for the executive and legislative branches of the United States to receive heavy media coverage. In recent news coverage, The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) has had major media coverage because of the overturning of the landmark rulings Roe vs Wade. The changing of laws that affect gun rights, the Miranda rights, and women’s reproductive rights.
 
As a consequence of the SCOTUS rulings, many of the rights that were once protected by federal law are now in the hands of each state’s local government. Many states across the country are moving fast to pass laws that would show their position on current issues affecting society.

California recently made the move to add abortion protection to its constitution. Alabama is now looking to make abortion punishable by the death penalty.  As states push for changes to their local laws, Arizona recently passed a law that limits the recording of police during arrests.

In light of the legal chaos, many states’ governments have decided that is time to come together. The National Governors Association hosted its semiannual meeting in Maine for the first time in nearly 40 years, to address the rising tensions surrounding gun control and women's reproductive rights.

The meeting took place from Wednesday, July 13th, to Saturday, July 16th. Each Governor had its own different political agenda, which made for a very interesting meeting. Governors were said to be discussing issues such as cybersecurity, economic recovery, infrastructure improvement, and youth mental health.

For the first time in a long time, Governors from around the country will play the role of advocators. Usually, Governors are the head of command in their states’ political climates. They sign bills, make executive decisions, and reorganize districts. Each Governor has various responsibilities and power, based on their state’s Constitutions.

Luckily for Illinois, the meeting posed no threat to the previous stances of the Illinois government. Governor J. B. Pritzker stayed true to the state and political beliefs that got him elected.

 “As human rights become endangered in every part of this nation, Governors now serve as the last line of defense. In Illinois, we led by example to curb the effects of climate change, protect reproductive rights, and create a bipartisan solution to revitalize our infrastructure system, proving big things can be accomplished through responsible leadership.” stated Pritzker.

Even though Pritzker stayed true to his ideals, as any good diplomat does, he had the hard conversations. “Over the course of the week, I was fortunate to have many enlightening conversations with governors who are passionate about leading on these issues and I look forward to putting those conversations into practice, creating a better path forward for all Illinoisans.” said, Pritzker.

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