Cuomo to combine budget, State of State addresses

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo will delay the annual governor’s State of the State speech by one week and combine it with his budget address, his office said Monday.

Cuomo, a Democrat in his sixth year as governor, will deliver a combined address on Jan. 13 at the Empire State Plaza, adjacent to the State Capitol.

It isn’t the first time Cuomo has merged the two addresses. He did so last year because the funeral for his father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo, was held the day before the State of the State speech was scheduled.

Cuomo, in a statement, said putting the two speeches together made practical sense.

“Frankly, it made little sense to lay out a vision and then keep everyone in suspense for weeks on how you plan to pay for it,” the governor said in a statement.