The Democratic governor’s high-flying speech touched on everything from housing and climate change to education and artificial intelligence without diving into many specifics.
Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson, a Democrat from the 104th District in Newburgh, says he felt it was a good speech — but that’s the easy part.
"The hard part is gonna come when we see the governor’s budget, and see how much of these priorities — which generally, everybody agrees on — are addressed in the budget," he explains.
New York is facing a projected $4.3 billion budget shortfall heading into the next fiscal year. Last year’s budget was approved over a month late, despite Democrats having a supermajority in the legislature, with tensions expected to bleed into this year’s budget season. Hochul’s budget comes out January 16.
While Hochul wants to spend $10 million to train teachers in “back to basics” reading instruction, Jacobson says he wants to make financial literacy a requirement for graduation, and simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for college students.
Looking at some of his other priorities, Jacobson says he’s determined to pass a bill with State Senator Michelle Hinchey, a fellow Democrat, that would limit utilities from relying on estimated meter reads. Central Hudson Gas & Electric is still repairing its customer relations after a multi-year billing fiasco caused by a new billing system led to errors for thousands of customers. Central Hudson, which is seeking a delivery rate hike through the state Public Services Commission, maintains its billing errors have been corrected, and it is making the transition from bi-monthly to monthly meter readings.
Meantime, Assemblyman Chris Tague, a Republican from the 102nd District in Schoharie, says Hochul isn’t doing enough to address public safety.
"She started out of the box today and said New York is strong and safe, and I think that a lot of people in the public would question that statement," says Tague.
Tague says he will continue fighting to roll back New York’s recent bail reform laws in 2024. Hochul’s criminal justice proposals did include expanding the list of offenses eligible for hate crime status, given a rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents amid the Israel-Hamas war. The governor also wants to add a unit to the New York State Police targeting retail theft.
Assemblyman Anil Beephan, from the 105th District in East Fishkill, says he hopes this session will see the passage of “Melanie’s Law,” a bill the first-term Republican has been pushing since before he came into office. The bill is named after Melanie Chianese, a 29-year-old woman from Wappingers Falls who was stabbed to death by her mother’s ex-boyfriend in 2022. Beephan says Chianese’s mother and younger brother had restraining orders against the ex-boyfriend — but because Chianese was an adult, her mother’s restraining order didn’t protect her.
Beephan’s bill, which passed the Assembly last year, would allow family courts to expand the protection given by restraining orders to adult family members.
"[Governor Hochul] did mention and allude [in her address] to greater investment in resources, monetary funding, and even legislation that could help curb domestic violence incidents across the state of New York," adds Beephan. "And we truly believe that Melanie’s Law could be one of those at the forefront of her agenda."
Just before the holidays, Beephan introduced a bill pushing back against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s congestion pricing plan in New York City, which would toll the average car driver $15 a day to enter lower Manhattan. The plan has drawn outcry from residents and lawmakers alike, particularly those in New Jersey and the Hudson Valley. Beephan says a lot of his constituents commute into the city for work, and for those lugging heavy equipment, it doesn’t always make sense to take Metro-North, which runs as far as Pouhgkeepsie. Beephan’s bill would exempt New York City employees, first responders, doctors, nurses, and patients from the toll.
Even if it doesn’t pass, Beephan says he’s confident there’s enough ruffled feathers on both sides of the aisle to push some form of restriction through. Take, for example, State Senator James Skoufis, a Democrat from the 42nd District in Cornwall. Skoufis has called on the MTA to provide an exemption for Orange County residents, citing a lack of train lines and steady bus service west of the Hudson River.
"We don't have subways, we don't have MTA buses on every street corner like you do in many places in the five boroughs — and yet we pay the same MTA fees when we go and transact at the DMV," Skoufis explains. "I really wish there would be a better focus on increasing access to public transit."
The MTA expects to implement the toll as soon as this spring, after a public comment period. Governor Hochul has supported the plan, but without an exemption or rebate for county residents, Skoufis has threatened to join a New Jersey lawsuit challenging the toll — or to pull Orange County from the MTA region altogether.
On the whole, though, Skoufis says he largely agreed with Hochul’s outlook Tuesday, particularly her proposals on mental health. Hochul pledged to expand mental health services and proposed regulation requiring insurance providers to provide out-of-network coverage when timely appointments with in-network councilors are not available.
Hochul also pledged to meet New York’s energy targets under its Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act. Assemblymembers Chris Burdick and Dana Levenberg, both Democrats, say they were heartened by the statements, although they’d like to see more specific plans. Levenberg, from the 95th District in Ossining, says she and Democratic State Senator Pete Harckham are hoping to finally pass a bill that would allow parks to place solar canopies over parking lots.
"That provides shade. That provides protection on a rainy day," Levenberg posits. "You could theoretically eat there, and your car seats don't get hot. And [they're] also providing solar power."
Assemblymember Didi Barrett, a Democrat from the 106th District in Poughkeepsie, says developing a workforce for the state’s green economy is high on her personal to-do list.
"I don’t think we’re seeing that happen just yet," she warns. "There’s a lot of work that needs to be done. There’s a lot of projects that are going to come online at the same time, which is gonna require even more of a workforce ready to take those on."
For many of the region’s lawmakers, it all comes back to that $4.3 billion budget gap — so while they largely appreciated the governor’s speech, they say a lot remains to be seen. For Assemblyman Tague, the state isn’t in a place to pour funds into social programs. State Senator Harckham, from the 40th District in Peekskill, agrees that "the devil is in the details,” but he wants to make sure the state doesn’t roll back any of its investments in education.
Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha, meanwhile, says New York can narrow the gap by increasing taxes on the wealthy. The progressive Democrat from the 103rd District in Kingston says she was glad to hear Hochul counter the argument that wealthy New Yorkers are leaving the state because of taxes, positing instead that working-class residents are fleeing because of the cost of housing. Shrestha argues that by not increasing taxes on the state's wealthier residents, lawmakers are leaving billions of dollars on the table.
"The governor said we can’t spend money we don’t have, which means that we need to have more money," says Shrestha. "And we have lots of very wealthy people, who are a small group of New Yorkers, who aren't paying their fair share of taxes."
