Fresh off announcing plans to raise the state’s minimum wage, build a train to LaGuardia Airport, and take teens out of prison, Governor Andrew Cuomo is certainly clearing his throat to get his second term in gear.

The year could not have started in a more painful way for Cuomo – with former Governor Mario Cuomo dying just minutes after his son finished an inaugural speech in Buffalo on New Year’s Day. It will be interesting to see if any of the father’s achievements or goals will be cited by the son in his address in Albany today and if he invokes his name for any celebrated cause.

Beyond climbing over a mountain of personal grief, there are plenty of new challenges for the governor to tackle. He has a slew of new members of his administration to break in, a Republican majority in the State Senate to deal with, and the inevitable talk of a second-term letdown. It would be smart for the governor to break out of his management shell and rely on his team for advice and guidance. After all, it’s clear that a certain lanky mayor in New York City is trying to capture the national Democratic imagination. A good speech – with some planning to back it up – would be a decent way for Cuomo to seize it back.

A programming note: NY1 will be taking the governor’s speech live at 1:30 p.m. So tune in for our complete coverage!