Governor Chris Christie will deliver his final State of the State address to a joint session of the New Jersey Legislature at 3 PM today. He is the first Governor to deliver eight State of the State addresses since Tom Kean gave his in 1990.
Gov. Donald DiFrancesco took office after Christine Todd Whitman gave her seventh address in 2001, and left before the 2002 State of the State. That 2002 State of the State was given by Acting Gov. John Bennett, since the speech came during his 84 hours as Governor.
Senate President Steve Sweeney and newly-elected Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin will respond immediately after Christie’s speech. They will be joined by Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald, Senate President Pro Tempore and Education Chairwoman M. Teresa Ruiz, Assembly Majority Conference Leader Shavonda Sumter, Senate Deputy Majority Leader and Budget Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo and Assembly Budget Chairwoman Eliana Pintor Marin.