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Listen to this articleWith an emphasis on affordability and economic development, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced plans to offer free tuition at state and city universities for those pursuing associate degrees in high-demand fields.
“We’re going to make community college completely free for students ages 25-55 who enter high-demand fields like advanced manufacturing, education and healthcare,” Hochul said during her State of the State address in Albany Tuesday afternoon.
“This is real savings for New Yorkers pursuing new careers and puts money back in their pockets while filling job openings in these critical industries,” she said.
Hochul’s speech Tuesday seemingly addressed the middle-class economic concerns that helped President-elect Donald Trump win the White House. Her proposals focused on affordability for families, public safety, transportation and growing what she described as a sustainable economy.
“We’ve recommitted to reducing carbon emissions with offshore wind off the coast of Long Island and hydroelectric power coming in from Quebec to power New York City,” she said. “And this year I’m calling for an historic $1 billion investment to further the transition to a zero-emission economy.”
Hochul proposed building “power-ready sites for green industry.” The governor said that the economy of the future is one with microchip fabrication facilities and data centers, pointing out that the “supercomputers that power [artificial intelligence] need tremendous amounts of energy. To support these industries, we’ve already started developing an advanced nuclear strategy.”
The plan, she said, “is all part of our effort to create a sustainable economy that can withstand the test of time,” she said, “because there is no plan B if we fail.”
For working parents, she spoke of building a “pathway to universal childcare.” Hochul called for $110 million “to build new childcare centers, renovate existing ones, and expand options for families and communities all over New York.”
Among the governor’s proposals are plans to cut taxes for middle-class earners, expand the child tax credit, give students free meals at schools and make it harder for hedge funds to buy homes.
“I’m calling for a sweeping middle-class income tax cut benefitting 8.3 million taxpayers making less than $323,000,” she said. “The tax cut I propose today and will fight for in the coming months will deliver the lowest tax rates in seven decades and save hardworking tax payers $1 billion.”
She said she will also move to combat fears over crime, expand mental health treatment services and work to strengthen security in the New York City subway system with plans to install barriers on train platforms and stronger lighting in stations. “I want to see uniformed police on the platforms, but more importantly, we will put an officer on every single train, overnight – 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. – over the next six months and the state will support these efforts financially,” she said.
Another plan from the governor would be to send residents up to $500 under a measure she has described as an inflation refund. Hochul highlighted the plan, first announced in December, through a trip to a supermarket in Albany and said it would be funded by excess sales taxes generated through inflationary rises in the costs of consumer goods.
Housing, Hochul said “is the number one driver of our affordability crisis. And the only way to decrease housing costs is to increase supply.” She proposed investing “$100 million in local development on top of the $650 million we invested for pro-housing communities last year.” This would include building starter homes and providing down-payment assistance for first-time buyers, with an ombudsman to “streamline approvals and get shovels in the ground sooner.”
Hochul’s speech on Tuesday came ahead of what is expected to be a difficult reelection campaign for the governor.
She is expected to face a contested Democratic primary election next year, in a race that could include Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado and U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres from the Bronx. In addition, U.S. Rep Mike Lawler, a Republican from the Hudson Valley, may also run for governor.
“Our region’s cost of living is an existential crisis, and Gov. Hochul is right to tackle this head-on by addressing three priorities critical to growing the economy and keeping Long Islanders on Long Island: cutting income taxes, building more housing, and investing in childcare,” Matt Cohen, president of the Long Island Association said in a statement to LIBN.
“The governor doubled down on the state’s commitment to be at the vanguard of 21st century industries like offshore wind and AI, and so Long Island stands to capitalize as a national leader due to our world-class academic and research assets, and a highly talented workforce,” Cohen added.
Kyle Strober, executive director of The Association for a Better Long Island said that Hochul’s address “pragmatically recognized that mandating housing construction on the island is and will remain a non-starter. Rather, her effort to incentivize the real estate community would create new proposals consistent with local zoning preferences.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
