Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear will give his final State of the Commonwealth address Wednesday night before a joint session of the Kentucky General Assembly. This is the last year of Beshear's second term as Kentucky's governor. He cannot seek re-election because of term limits.
Beshear has presided over some of the most challenging economic times in recent memory, overseeing more than $1.6 billion in state budget cuts during the economic recession. But the governor is likely to sound a more optimistic note this year, highlighting the state's recent economic successes to set the table for the Democratic Party's nominee for governor.
The speech is the highlight of the first week of the 2015 legislative session. Lawmakers will take break for two weeks after Friday and return to work in February.