Gov. Charlie Baker addressed the crowd at the annual menorah lighting at the State House Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2015. (NewBostonPost photo by Beth Treffeisen)
Gov. Charlie Baker, who is preparing to begin his second year in office, will deliver his first State of the Commonwealth address before the Legislature and special guests on Jan. 21, his office announced on Wednesday.
The speech should give Baker an opportunity to both reinforce his priorities for the second year of the Legislative session – passing opioid abuse prevention, charter school expansion and hydropower legislation – and lay out any new initiatives his administration may have in store.
Baker has already said he plans to file job creation legislation early in the new year, and he could also use the Thursday night prime time televised remarks to highlight accomplishments over his first year as office and explain some of the tough decisions he is likely to have made before the night of the address, including whether to reopen and slash spending in the current fiscal 2016 budget.
The State of the Commonwealth address, a January staple for Massachusetts governors, will be Baker’s first due to the fact that following elections a new governor’s inaugural speech typically takes the place of the traditional address. For Baker, the speech will also fall less than a week before he is due to file his fiscal 2017 budget proposal, and could use his time to preview some of that budget’s highlights.
Gov. Charlie Baker addressed the crowd at the annual menorah lighting at the State House Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2015. (NewBostonPost photo by Beth Treffeisen) 
