Topeka ? Gov. Mark Parkinson will address a joint session of the Legislature at 4 p.m. Thursday in the House chamber.

Parkinson, the former lieutenant governor, became Kansas’ 45th governor on Tuesday after Kathleen Sebelius resigned to become secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Kansas Legislature started its wrap-up session on Wednesday facing a $328 million budget deficit.

Parkinson is a former legislator and served as chairman of the Kansas Republican Party before he switched to the Democratic Party to run with Sebelius in 2006.

He has said he will fill out Sebelius’ term, which ends in January 2011, but doesn’t plan to run for the office.

On Tuesday, he gave brief remarks after a swearing-in ceremony in which he called for unity between the two political parties.