Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois will deliver his 2014 State of the State address today at noon in Springfield. The Chicago Tribune predicts that Quinn’s speech will resonant with many of the themes already heralded as the cornerstone of his gubernatorial re-election campaign, with an intense focus today on the middle class and growing the economy.

In comments made last week ahead of his speech, Quinn explained, “The number one issue all the time is jobs, economic growth, opportunity, building the middle class, preserving the middle class (and) helping people get a fair shake in life. Those are the fundamental things that I think we always have to focus on.”

Reviewing the year, Quinn will likely celebrate reforms to the state’s pension system that he helped pushed through, despite their controversy with union groups; he’ll also point to his success in chipping away at billions of dollars in budget woes since 2010. In looking ahead to the coming year, Quinn is expected to unveil a number of initiatives to spur job creation and assist small businesses—both of which are necessary for establishing a healthy middle class. And on the tail of President Obama’s State of the Union address last night in which he pushed for a federal increase for the minimum wage, Quinn will potentially make a renewed effort to raise the state’s minimum wage from $8.25 to $10.

The Chicago Sun-times also reports that the governor is expected to propose an ambitious early childhood education initiative that is comprehensive in approach.

You can watch the State of the State LIVE at NOON here.