Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner wants to empower residents to climb out of the state's deep financial rut.
During his first State of the State Address, he outlined goals to guide his administration.
Rauner aims to shake up Springfield with a new beginning.
He calls on Empowerment Zones to energize the economy.
"Local communities, local voters, deserve this option so that they can compete with other states and other nations for new businesses and new investment," he said.
Fresh on the heels of his speech, Gov. Rauner will make a 9 a.m., Saturday, appearance at Centre Station in Moline.
Rauner continues to aim at organized labor. He says that local communities should be able to choose zones where union membership is voluntary.
"He wants to, at the expense of many, take care of a few," said Dino Leone, president of the Quad City Federation of Labor. "That's a shame. That will not set the right tone for working families in Illinois, and I think they will stand up to him."
Rauner wants to make Illinois a more attractive place to do business. He's exploring ways to ease the state's massive deficit that discourages development.
"The time is now for all of us, Republicans and Democrats, to do big things -- the right things -- for the people of our great state," he said.
In this era of cuts and belt-tightening, Rauner continues to promise a boost in funding for education.
At the same time, there are huge concerns about funding human services for families.
Some programs are anticipating six-month delays in state payments and must rely on credit and borrowing to get by.
"If we want a business to relocate to Illinois, but we don't have any child care for their employees, they're not coming," said Angie Kendall, Child Abuse Council.
Rauner's revisions will set the tone for the state's upcoming budget address.
It promises to be a message about money, or lack of it, come February 18.