On January 9, 2024, New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) delivered her State of the State Address, introducing 204 initiatives to improve the state’s affordability, livability, and safety. Emphasizing crime reduction, mental health enhancement, public infrastructure improvement, and financial safeguarding, Hochul also highlighted ongoing efforts in job creation, education, and childcare. Emphasizing fiscal responsibility, she promised to enhance the quality of life for all New Yorkers, promoting prosperity, growth, and inclusivity while advancing equity and supporting marginalized communities.

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Consumer Protection and Economic Support

The address emphasized improving consumer protection, fostering a business-friendly environment, ensuring affordable healthcare, and investing in New York’s workforce for economic growth. The proposed Consumer Protection Law expansion would target unfair business practices, addressing risks with Buy Now Pay Later loans. Hochul’s plan includes strategies to tackle medical debt, eliminate co-pays for insulin, limit hospital lawsuits against low-income patients, and update medical and disability leave benefits. Regarding economic growth and support, Hochul highlighted the Empire AI Consortium launch, advanced manufacturing training centers, the $100 million expansion of the FAST NY program for business attraction, wage theft protections, and support for immigrant entrepreneurs. Additional measures include youth apprenticeship programs, a $50 million anti-poverty pilot program, and proposed legislation for workplace breaks for breast milk expression.

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Environmental Resilience

Hochul aims to enhance New York’s resilience against extreme weather and protect natural resources. The plan focuses on strengthening homes, improving disaster response, addressing school heat challenges, and reinforcing aging infrastructure. Environmental protection initiatives involve planting 25 million trees, safeguarding clean water, combating harmful algal blooms, and supporting agriculture, including financial aid for the dairy sector, workforce development, a One Health approach, youth agricultural programs, and advancing the bioeconomy. Hochul’s commitment also extends to responsible gas system transition planning, streamlined environmental reviews for renewable projects, and the Statewide Solar for All Initiative, benefiting over 800,000 households.

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Equity in Higher Education

Hochul’s agenda addressed admissions reform, financial aid, food security, voter participation, and reading proficiency for a more equitable higher education system in New York. Key initiatives include automatically admitting the top 10% of high school achievers to SUNY and CUNY, ensuring FAFSA completion for all seniors, and addressing food insecurity with SNAP benefits. Her plans also aim to enhance college student voter participation by integrating voter registration information into campus packets and improve reading proficiency through the “Back to Basics” initiative, allocating $10 million to train 20,000 teachers. Hochul also emphasized stronger communities through the Office of Service and Civic Engagement, providing accessible public service opportunities.

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Housing Crisis Mitigation

Hochul’s 2024 plan addressed New York City’s housing crisis through collaboration, state assets, and anti-discrimination measures. The proposals would incentivize new housing construction, support affordable office conversions, increase residential density, and legalize basement and cellar apartments. A $500 million capital fund would also develop 15,000 housing units on state-owned land. Hochul aims to strengthen the Pro-Housing Communities program, requiring certification for accessing $650 million in state discretionary funding. She also plans to target housing discrimination, prohibiting insurance companies from discriminating based on tenants’ income source.

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Mental Health Services

Hochul outlined a continuous commitment to addressing the mental health crisis among vulnerable populations. Her plan involves providing resources to schools for opening school-based mental health clinics, establishing Youth Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Teams statewide, and expanding loan repayment programs for children’s mental health practitioners. She calls for legislation to hold social media companies accountable, expand peer-to-peer support programs, fund programming for high-need transition-age youth, limit harmful social media features, and convene Youth Mental Health Advisory Boards. Additionally, she aims to enhance mental health support for veterans, pregnant women, and LGBTQ+ individuals by increasing access, accountability, and support through screenings and counseling expansions.

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Public Safety

Hochul outlined plans to address public health and safety concerns in New York by combating hate crimes, the opioid crisis, domestic violence, retail theft, illicit cannabis storefronts, cybercrime, and life-threatening mental health issues. As part of a multi-year expansion, 200 psychiatric inpatient beds will be added for individuals with criminal histories and serious mental illnesses. To enhance safety, a coordination team will link law enforcement and mental health, fund crisis intervention training, enhance admission and discharge procedures,expand mental health courts, and introduce court-based mental health specialists. Hochul intends to specifically target retail theft with a specialized state police unit, address gun violence through public awareness, and expand the SAVE program for more substantial parolee supervision. Additional initiatives include establishing a SAFE fund for crisis support to survivors, prosecuting additional crimes as hate crimes, shutting down illicit cannabis storefronts, addressing online teen exploitation through training, and combating elder financial exploitation through proposed legislation allowing temporary holds on transactions involving vulnerable adults’ accounts.

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Transportation Resolved

Hochul introduced plans for transformative infrastructure projects in New York, emphasizing the expansion of the Second Avenue Subway to Broadway and the progress of the Interborough Express design. With a focus on safety and equity, Hochul aims to address fare evasion and empower New York City to lower speed limits through “Sammy’s Law.” These initiatives underscore her commitment to creating safer, more efficient, accessible transportation.

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