Governor Brown admitted to reporters last week he hadn't started writing the speech yet.  But the major focus is sure to be the problem he's been working on since he was elected: The budget mess.  But Brown says he'll try to include some good news, too:

"There's a lot of issues, whether it's reform of schools, whether it's water, whether it's energy, whether it's crime.  Those are things I'm really interested in, but at the same time, if we don't get this budget fixed, California will flounder."

Leo McElroy is an independent political consultant based in Sacramento:

"We're going to hear a lot of we've cut this and cut this, but we're still going to have to cut that and cut that and it's gong to have to hurt even more people if we don't extend the tax rates that were in effect through the beginning of the year."

Brown's budget proposal calls for deep cuts to most areas of government.  He also wants voters to approve a five-year extension of car, income and sales tax increases that are set to expire. McElroy says the State of the State is his chance to sell that plan to the public and to lawmakers of both parties.

"In a horse-racing sense, he's going to the spurs here."