Newsom says no State of State
California governor breaks from tradition, to tour statewide
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom won’t give a State of the State address this year, shunning the teleprompter that has frustrated him because of his dyslexia in favor of a statewide tour this month, in which he can highlight his major policy goals in a more informal setting.
It’s a break from tradition for Newsom, a Democrat and potentially a future presidential candidate who has attempted many times to reinvent the speech for modern audiences. He has tried devoting the entire speech to just one topic — homelessness in 2020 — and using Dodger Stadium during the pandemic to give exhausted residents a pep talk about ”brighter days ahead.”
Scripted speeches have given Newsom trouble because of his dyslexia, a common learning disability that makes it harder for him to read and do other things related to reading. It’s why he rarely uses notes in his public appearances and memorizes facts and figures. Last year, he invited lawmakers to hear his speech in a large auditorium in Sacramento in part because he could use a larger screen, according to the governor’s office.
Just about every governor in the U.S. gives a State of the State address, which mimics the State of the Union speech given by the president to Congress every year. The California Constitution requires the governor report to the state Legislature every year “on the condition of the State.”
Before World War II, governors would fulfill this requirement by sending a letter to the Legislature. That changed in the 1940s, when former Gov. Earl Warren — who would later become chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court — began giving a formal speech to the Legislature, according to Alex Vassar, who works at the California State Library and acts as an unofficial historian of the Legislature.
This year, Newsom plans to fulfill his constitutional requirement by sending a letter to the state Legislature. Next week, the governor’s office says, Newsom plans to embark on a four-day tour of the state to highlight his priorities.