Gubernatorial Mashup: Brown's Inauguration to Include State of the State

For a man who doesn't seem to enjoy much of the pomp and formality that come along with being the chief executive of California, Gov. Jerry Brown has come up with a solution: cross off two of his big January events in a single gathering.

Brown's office on Monday announced that the governor will take the oath of office for an unprecedented fourth term on the morning of Monday, Jan. 5, in the chambers of the state Assembly -- and then deliver his annual State of the State address.

Two tasks, one event. Probably all over in time for lunch.

California's 39th governor (who, of course, was also its 34th governor) has largely taken a pass at any big fuss over his constitutionally required report to the Legislature "on the condition of the state." His predecessors often used the State of the State to roll out major policy pronouncements in early-evening events custom made for the 5 p.m. news on television stations. But Brown has made it a habit, in his return to Sacramento, of downsizing the speech's media footprint and, thus it seems, its importance.

The 2014 edition clocked in at just under 17 minutes, and was mostly notable for the playing cards that he distributed to legislators and guests featuring pithy fiscal prudence sayings with photos of his dog, Sutter. Previous State of the State speeches in his third term in office were even less memorable.

This speech, in an event to be held at 10 a.m. on the first Monday of the new year, promises to be at least a little different.  Brown will first take the oath of office, and so the speech will no doubt outline both the governor's vision for 2015 and the years to come in this final term. In fact, his 2011 inaugural speech may have been his most sweeping soliloquy yet -- a reflection back on his family's 19th century California roots, and a look forward to what was admittedly an austere few years of fiscal recovery for state government.

The payoff on that austerity will become evident just a few days after the Jan. 5 event, when Brown sends the Legislature his new state budget.  That budget, still being crafted but largely viewed as one with a sizable surplus of tax revenues, will no doubt be again a chance for the governor to show off his self-proclaimed frugal side.

No doubt political watchers will be looking for not just what Brown says in his inaugural/State of the State address -- on issues like the budget, high-speed rail, water -- but also for what he doesn't say. Will the governor signal any broader, systemwide reforms in his final four years? Or will he focus on the keep-things-moving-forward mantra that was the assumed focus of his stealth re-election bid?

One thing's for sure: He didn't see any reason to talk about it more than once.