Executive Order 2026-06

WHEREAS, the State of Illinois holds title to the site commonly known and referred to as the Illinois State Armory; and,

WHEREAS, after the original State Arsenal building on this site was destroyed by fire in 1934, the present Illinois State Armory was constructed in 1937 as a federal Works Progress Administration project, designed by State of Illinois Architect C. Herrick Hammond, and stands today as a prominent landmark of the Capitol Complex directly across from the State Capitol; and,

WHEREAS, for more than seven decades, the Illinois State Armory served as a center of military, civic, and cultural life in the State of Illinois, hosting the Illinois National Guard, the Illinois State Police, gubernatorial inaugural balls, and countless public assemblies of statewide significance; and,

WHEREAS, through Rebuild Illinois and successive capital appropriations, and with the guidance of the Illinois Capital Development Board, the Department of Central Management Services, and the State Historic Preservation Officer, the State has undertaken a comprehensive renovation of the Illinois State Armory, with the intent to restore the building to active service as a working seat of state government within the Capitol Complex; and,

WHEREAS, Jim Edgar, the 38th Governor of the State of Illinois, served the people of Illinois with distinction for nearly three decades in elected and appointed office, including as a State Representative, as Illinois Secretary of State from 1981 to 1991, and as Governor from January 1991 through January 1999; and,

WHEREAS, during his tenure as Illinois Secretary of State, Jim Edgar’s office, by correspondence dated October 3, 1990, transmitted to the Department of Central Management Services the records concerning the Illinois State Armory and its underlying parcels for incorporation into the Department’s land records, contributing directly to the orderly stewardship of this State property; and,

WHEREAS, as Governor, Jim Edgar led the State through periods of fiscal challenge and natural disaster, including the Great Flood of 1993; restored stability to the State’s finances; advanced reforms in education and supported the landmark restructuring of Chicago Public Schools in 1995; and expanded public lands, preserved open space, and protected the State’s natural resources; and,

WHEREAS, throughout his life, Governor Edgar exemplified the principles of civility, compromise, and compassion, and through the Edgar Fellows program, has prepared a generation of emerging Illinois leaders across parties, regions, and sectors to govern with integrity and to bridge the divides of contemporary public life; and,

WHEREAS, Jim Edgar passed away on September 14, 2025, and is mourned by the State he served, by colleagues and constituents from every region and political tradition, and by the many public servants whom he mentored, encouraged, and inspired; and,

WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the renewed Illinois State Armory, a building rooted in Springfield, central to the Capitol Complex, and emblematic of the State’s enduring civic life, be permanently associated with the name and legacy of a Governor who likewise rose from downstate Illinois, served the people with steadiness and principle, and devoted his career to the strengthening of the State’s public institutions;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JB Pritzker, Governor of Illinois, by virtue of the executive authority vested in me by Section 8 of Article V of the Constitution of the State of Illinois, do hereby order as follows:

1. Armory Renamed
   1. The Illinois State Armory, situated upon the city block in the City of Springfield, County of Sangamon, State of Illinois, bounded on the north by Adams Street, on the west by First Street, on the south by Monroe Street, and on the east by Second Street, and identified by Sangamon County Parcel Identification Number 14-33-232-003, is hereby renamed the “Governor Jim Edgar Armory” upon the taking effect of this Executive Order.
2. Savings Clause
   1. Any powers, duties, rights, and responsibilities vested in or associated with the Illinois State Armory shall not be affected by the renaming of the Illinois State Armory to the Governor Jim Edgar Armory.
      This Executive Order does not contravene and shall not be construed to contravene any federal law, State statute, or collective bargaining agreement.
3. Prior Executive Orders
   1. This Executive Order supersedes any contrary provision of any other prior Executive Order.
4. Severability Clause
   1. If any part of this Executive Order is found invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect. The provisions of this Executive Order are severable.
5. Filings
   1. This Executive Order shall be filed with the Secretary of State. A copy of this Executive Order shall be delivered to the Secretary of the Senate and to the Clerk of the House of Representatives and, for the purpose of consideration for inclusion in a revisory bill, to the Legislative Reference Bureau.
6. EFFECTIVE DATE
   1. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately upon its filing with the Secretary of State.                                                                                             

__________________________

JB Pritzker
Governor

Issued by Governor: August 11, 2026

Filed with Secretary of State: August 11, 2026