Metro East Sun

Illinois state Sen. Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville) still has concerns for the state's future after listening to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker's State of the State address last Wednesday.

Plummer says that Pritzker focused more on the last year's successes than on the many challenges ahead.

"The governor highlighted the success he had in the last session," Plummer said. "Some things in Illinois are going in the right direction. I'm concerned about my district and real estate taxes. There was a lot of style in his speech but no substance. How do you have 80 paragraphs and only commit one to real estate taxes? With corruption, he spoke strongly about that and I hope he follows through with that."

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker

Illinois citizens want ethics reform, Plummer says, especially in the wake of multiple corruption scandals over the past three months.

"The people of Illinois are disappointed with their government and they expect reform," Plummer said. "We need to follow through with that and restore their trust. It’s important to work together in a bipartisan fashion. We can’t just talk — we have to continue to work hard."