llerton, steven madden, leader brady, lieutenant governor sanguinetti, attorney general madigan, comptroller mendoza, treasurer fredericks, members of the general assembly, distinguished guests and members of the media, welcome. to the members of the national guard, our servicemen and women, and our veterans, thank you on behalf of of a most grateful state. [applause] >> thank you. god bless you. to the taxpayers of illinois, it is an honor to serve you. my report on the state of the ,tate, this bicentennial year begins with a reflection on what has been born, built and grown in illinois. our history is rich. we were the first state to ratify the constitutional amendment to abolish slavery. presidents lincoln, grant, reagan and obama called illinois home. we taught the world how to rebuild a city when we scraped the sky after the chicago fire. we invented the twinkie and a started the first nuclear chain reaction. companies,tune 500 1.2 million small businesses, and 72,000 of the nation's greatest , we are the world's 17th largest economy. we are a top bioscience and medical center. 82 forei