ICYMI- Gov. Pritzker Joins American Fever Dream Podcast

CHICAGO- Governor Pritzker appeared on the American Fever Dream podcast covering a wide range of topics, including his plans to continue delivering results for working families in Illinois, standing up to the Trump administration’s unlawful actions, and the values he will demonstrate standing up for all Illinoisan. Governor Pritzker emphasized the need for federal immigration reform, how to continue growing the clean energy comments, and shared personal anecdotes about the need for empathy in public service.

Listen to the interview here and see below for highlights.

On growing Illinois’ clean energy economy:

“We passed a bill called the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), and essentially what that's done is we've more than doubled the amount of renewables in the state of Illinois just over the last few years. That bill was passed in September of 2021. and by the middle of 2024 we were on our way from we had gone from only 7.5% renewables in the state and about 52% or 53% nuclear to having more than 20% renewables.”

“This is a state where people really believe in it. No matter where you are in the state, you know as a core that you know that it doesn't matter where your fuel or where your energy is coming from. But most people in Illinois do care about it, and they're actually taking it on themselves with putting solar panels on the roofs or being part of a Community Solar Association.”

On immigration reform:

“Frankly, I want (a violent criminal who’s undocumented) arrested. I do not want them in my state. I don't think they should be in the country if you're a violent criminal and you are undocumented. But that's a very small number of people. We're, you know, we have many, many hundreds of thousands, frankly, in Illinois, who are undocumented, law-abiding people holding down jobs, paying taxes. They're good neighbors. They're often anchors in their neighborhoods and friends to people you know across Chicago, and we should be protecting them, and that's what we're doing.”

“We're a country of immigrants, and we you can walk down the street, you know, you know your neighbors, and we know we are used to seeing people that look different than us, that speak differently than us, right? We're an accepting country in general, and other countries are not like that. So we should want immigration and encourage immigration. It's good for our economy and it's good for businesses and, and, frankly, it's good for our society more broadly. Did you know 46% of all the fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children?”

“We need a national government that believes in immigration reform. We haven't had any immigration reform since the 1980s. People have tried and tried and tried. Of course, the latest attempt was Republicans walking away from the table, not wanting to do it because they believed that this is an issue that was helpful to them in the election.”

On empathy and values in public service:

“I think this comes down to values. It's the values that your parents teach you, it's the values that you grow up around. Maybe it's the values of your religion. I'm Jewish, but I think about many Christians who forget that so much of what Jesus taught was about caring for your fellow persons, making sure that you're, you know, you're, you're standing up for justice. I think those values are, and I'm not just talking about religious values, but those values are shared by a lot of people but don't get articulated much. I grew up with parents who were very involved in fighting for LGBTQ rights and for reproductive rights.

“I think there's a really good middle ground for people to find about, you know, you of course, we're all standing up for our own rights and values and, you know, but, but also about just empathy and I think people should be able to go out and crush it in business and, you know, make a lot of money and be hyper successful, and we shouldn't stand in their way of doing that. But at the same time, you know, they should recognize, as they're succeeding, that there are other people that you don't want to pick up the ladder and take it away from you. Want to help people climb that ladder, whatever it may be, the ladder of success, however you might define that. And at least you know again, I point out another thing, which is I do think empathy is a huge part of what really matters in kind of public policy and politics.”

“…the history of the United States is (…) bending toward justice. But I think people have forgotten that, like that going back 50 years or 70 years, which is what Donald Trump's trying to do, is, is, is not an American value in indeed, the most patriotic thing is moving forward, expanding rights, protecting people..."

On communicating with Americans in new ways:

“Elon Musk and others who control social media platforms who were promoting messages that were false. It wasn't just misinformation, it was disinformation, and it continues … so it's hard for folks who are, you know, working all day taking care of their families in the evening, or just exhausted after holding down two jobs. Maybe it's hard for them to know what's true anymore in social media or, you know, that they're hearing on TV. And so we have a real problem, I think, in this country of we have to get our message through to people.

“We have to make sure that there are platforms that we all subscribe to and are part of where we can get that message out. And then I think you know, there have to be people who sit in important positions, governors, senators and so on, who share our values, who are out on the hustings all the time, pushing that and coming on to programs like yours, right? A podcast like yours and just, you know, talking about what's real. I don't think Democrats have done enough of that, just being themselves, talking about what it is that really matters to average folks out there and to the most vulnerable Americans.”

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