One of the more inflammatory statements by Quinn was in regards to the closing of correctional facilities in the area, like Tamms Correctional Center and the Murphysboro Youth Center.
"We successfully closed 54 state facilities, saving taxpayers $100 million a year," Quinn says.
State Rep. John Bradley says the region is hurting from those closings, so now is a bad time to bring them up.
"We're still reeling from the decisions that were made over the last year," State Rep. John Bradley says. "Trying to draw positive attention to something that was devastating to our communities is something that we didn't particularly appreciate."
State Rep. Mike Bost says the speech felt more like Quinn was campaigning for his job, and that Quinn lacked specifics on the pressing issues like pensions.
He says there was also some hypocrisy in Quinn's speech.
"He bragged about closing facilities, some of them mental health facilities, and yet he said we have to cure the mental health problem later in his speech," Bost says.
Quinn says that improving mental health procedures is one of the steps neccessary to curb gun violence in the state.
State Rep. Brandon Phelps says that the closings of prison facilities has led to violence in other prisons, like the Menard Correctional Center in Chester.
"He's going to get somebody hurt," Phelps says. "You see what's going on in Menard right now, and I attribute that all to Tamms being shut down."
Some of the savings from the facility closings was shifted to the Department of Children and Family Services in the House's appropriations bill proposed this week.
"He's going to get somebody hurt," Phelps says. "You see what's going on in Menard right now, and I attribute that all to Tamms being shut down."
Some of the savings from the facility closings was shifted to the Department of Children and Family Services in the House's appropriations bill proposed this week.
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