Healey will deliver 'State of the Commonwealth' speech on Jan. 16

Gov. Maura Healey will deliver her State of the Commonwealth speech on Thursday, Jan. 16 in the House Chamber, her office said Wednesday.

A tradition that dates back to at least 1830, the governor's annual message is delivered to a joint session of the Legislature amid pomp and circumstance on Beacon Hill.

The governor's address will be made before an audience of lawmakers but also gives her a stage to broadcast her mid-term priorities to a wider audience through radio, TV, and the internet. It's an opportunity to reflect on the prior year and lay out policy priorities for the year ahead.

Some of those priorities will likely feature in Healey's next annual budget plan for fiscal 2026, which under the state Constitution she must file by Jan. 22.

Healey has opted for dates earlier in January than her predecessor. Gov. Charlie Baker often gave his speech on the day before his budget bill was due, while Healey has scheduled her 2024 and 2025 chamber events for the week prior.