New York Metropolis noticed an enormous win when Governor Kathy Hochul delivered her annual State of the State (SOS) deal with this Tuesday, Jan. 13, laying out plans for decreasing prices for New Yorkers and implementing extremely anticipated packages like common baby care.
“The State of our State is robust,” stated Hochul in her deal with, “however I must stage with you: This second carries actual threats from Donald Trump and his enablers in Congress. Driving up prices on every thing from groceries to farm gear by way of these reckless tariffs. Killing main infrastructure tasks that put union members to work. Tearing nursing immigrant moms from their infants and calling it public security.”
The state plans to additional help common entry to pre-kindergarten (Pre-Ok) for 4-year-olds by 2028, constructing on greater than $8 billion in baby care investments made since 2022. One of many greatest wins for New York Metropolis comes with the state’s dedication to help the 2-Care program, an unprecedented citywide initiative to supply free baby look after 2-year-olds, and common entry to 3K packages. Common baby care and education schemes have been among the many central pillars of newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s platform on the marketing campaign path.
“5 days in the past, I stood with Mayor Mamdani to announce that the state will absolutely fund the primary two years of his Common 2-Care program whereas additionally serving to New York Metropolis understand the complete promise of common 3-Ok,” stated Hochul. “We made that dedication and we’ll hold it.”
“As a dad of a 2-year-old, the governor’s proposed investments in children and households have been a welcome reduction that hit dwelling,” stated Brooklyn Assemblymember Brian Cunningham. “I’m particularly proud that the Governor included my Excessive-Affect Tutoring invoice, which is probably the most confirmed manner to assist college students catch up, acquire confidence, and thrive in class. The deal with continued to push for common baby care as a necessity, not a luxurious; giving dad and mom stability and youngsters an equal begin.”
The SOS additionally outlined funding to the town’s housing manufacturing; J-51 tax breaks for inexpensive housing; hire freezes for seniors and folks with disabilities in rent-stabilized flats and Mitchell-Lama inexpensive housing; strengthening gun security legal guidelines; investing in New York’s land financial institution packages; standardizing emergency support grants for SUNY and CUNY college students; deploying AI for the general public good, advancing laws to ban sharing false info and AI in regard to elections; and establishing a state Census fee and strong group outreach plan in hard-to-count neighborhoods as in Assemblymember Landon Dais’ invoice. Hochul can also be spotlighting the Black Ladies Mentoring Initiative and the Latina Mentoring Initiative (LMI) to confront conventional boundaries to mentoring and management sources for younger Black and Latina ladies.
The state is shifting forward with main infrastructure tasks within the metropolis, such because the Riverbank State Park Neighborhood Hub, Jamaica Station reimagining in Queens, Interborough Specific (IBX) connecting Brooklyn and Queens, Second Avenue Subway in Harlem, New Midtown Bus Terminal, Hudson Tunnel Challenge, and I-81 Viaduct Challenge; $68 billion to modernize the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA); $1 billion towards the Metropolis of Sure for Housing Alternative rezoning; and $1.6 billion towards enhancements for the New York Metropolis Housing Authority (NYCHA) housing.
By way of subway security, the state is committing $77 million for NYPD patrols. They’re additionally increasing the Subway Co-Response Outreach Groups initiative (SCOUT) initiative, which pairs MTA workers with clinicians to help with involuntary removals of individuals experiencing homelessness and untreated extreme psychological sickness within the subways, and putting in extra platform edge boundaries to 85 further stations this yr.
At a time when aggressive federal immigration enforcement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) brokers has elevated tensions between immigrant New Yorkers and regulation enforcement, Hochul plans to additional laws that makes it simpler for residents to sue if their constitutional rights are violated by federal officers, an concept first launched by Brooklyn Senator Zellnor Myrie final yr as an modification to the New York Civil Rights Act.
“Nobody, from the president on down, is above the regulation. Let me repeat, nobody,” stated Hochul, “and that’s why I’ll transfer to have New Yorkers maintain ICE brokers and others accountable in court docket after they act outdoors their scope of duties.”
“I’m very inspired the Governor helps giving New Yorkers the correct to hunt justice when their rights are violated by federal officers,” stated Myrie in an announcement. “The urgency of defending our individuals from rogue authorities brokers grows with every passing day. The time to behave is now, and I stay up for working with the Governor and my colleagues to safe our rights.”
Hochul additionally stated in her deal with that she has no intention of taking away the extremely worthwhile congestion pricing program, no matter threats from the Trump administration.
