Love as a Shield: Pritzker Frames Illinois Against Authoritarianism
TL;DR Summary
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker used the State of the State to link the budget speech to a broader fight over democracy, invoking John Peter Altgeld’s progressive legacy to defend equal rights and criticize Trump-era policies, while detailing plans to ease housing and energy costs and noting Illinois’ economic resilience (GDP over $1.2 trillion) and recent debt relief. He urged Americans to love their country through empathy and everyday courage—citing community actions from Little Village bicyclists to churches and school parents—as the country’s best antidote to rising authoritarianism.
- February 18, 2026 Letters from an American | Heather Cox Richardson | Substack
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Read on Letters from an American | Heather Cox Richardson | Substack