Governor Bruce Rauner, speaking at his inauguration/WJEZ file photo

By John Gregory–Illinois Radio News (with Todd Wineburner)

Illinois Chamber of Commerce President Todd Maisch says the State of the State Speech was heartening, and he believes that the governor has set an ambitious agenda that will benefit the state. “He has talked about the needs we have in Illinois to start growing again,” Maisch says. “We’ve got to stop the outmigration of our population—we have to have wage growth for our employees.” Dan Montgomery, President of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, however, described Rauner’s State of the State Address as “union bashing,” and said the governor needs a change of focus. “He has things factually wrong,” Montgomery says, “and it’s a partisan sort of ideological attack that has no basis in terms of raising the Illinois economy.” Both men spoke with reporters earlier this week after the governor’s State of the State Address in Springfield.