Brown To Be Sworn In For Record Fourth Term

Listen to live, special coverage of the Inaugural and State of the State address at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 5, 2015

Update: Sunday, Jan. 4: 9 p.m.

Ben Adler talks about Gov. Brown's fourth term during the Sunday News10.net newscast:

Original story: Friday, Jan. 2, 5 p.m.

Democrat Jerry Brown will be sworn in for his fourth – and final – term as California governor Monday morning, in the Assembly chambers.

He's combining his inaugural and State of the State addresses into a single speech – unlike four years ago, when he gave separate speeches several weeks apart.

Perhaps that’s because Brown faces a very different political landscape now. When he returned to the governor’s office in 2011, California was struggling to recover from the recession and facing a $25 billion deficit.

Today, the deficit is gone, although the state is still deep in long-term debt. California’s economy is recovering, albeit unevenly. And Brown has been cryptic about his new plans for a fourth term.

He’s expected to again set a tone of austerity on budget spending, while renewing calls for his ambitious but costly Delta tunnel and high-speed rail projects. There’s also anticipation of his response to the latest round of tuition increases at the University of California.

This was the inauguration scene in California State Capitol at Sacramento, Jan. 6, 1975 as Gov Jerry Brown Jr., was sworn into office at 10:13 a.m. This is the Assembly chamber where joint session of the Legislature was convened for the ceremonies. Former Gov. Edmund G. Brown, the 32nd Governor and his family are seated in the foreground balcony. File / AP

California Chief Justice Donald Wright (left) swearing in Brown as Governor of California on January 6, 1975.  Wikipedia / Sacramento Bee

Jerry Brown, left, is sworn-in as the 39th Governor of California as Anne Gust Brown looks on during ceremonies in Sacramento, Calif. Monday, Jan. 3, 2011. Rich Pedroncelli / AP