TCDC News, Events and Opinion

From the New York State Democratic Committee, www.nydems.org

This week, Governor Hochul delivered her 2025 State of the State address, detailing her proposals to put money back in people’s pockets, keep New Yorkers safe, and fight for our families. 

Money in New Yorkers' Pockets

Under pressure of rapidly rising inflation, Governor Hochul knows that too many families across the state are struggling to make ends meet. To help more families get ahead and make life in New York more affordable, Governor Hochul is committed to driving down costs and putting money directly back into people’s pockets. 

• Middle Class Tax Cut: Governor Hochul is proposing a historic tax cut for every filer making under $325,000 — this will represent the lowest middle class tax rate in 70 years
  

• Inflation Refund: Would provide a $500 payment for families making less than $300,000; $300 Payment for individual New York taxpayers filing less than $150,000
  

• Major Expansion of Child Tax Credit: Governor Hochul is proposing the largest expansion of the Child Tax Credit in the program’s history. Governor Hochul’s plan would give 1.6 million New York families an annual tax credit of up to $1,000 per child under age four and up to $500 per child from four through sixteen.
  

• Universal Free School Meals: Governor Hochul has a plan to provide free school meals to all New York students. The free school breakfast and lunch program is estimated to put approximately $1,200-$1,600 back in a family’s pocket for a single year.

Keeping New Yorkers Safe

Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, gun violence is down across the state, and investments in law enforcement and innovative initiatives are delivering results for New Yorkers but Governor Hochul knows we must do more. The Governor is committed to keeping New Yorkers safe both on the streets and on the subway. 

• Subway Safety: Governor Hochul is proposing to surge NYPD police officers to our subways and committing to putting police officers on every overnight train for the next 6 months from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.. She is proposing to accelerate physical changes like LED lights, erecting platform edge barriers, and updating gates and turnstiles.
  

• Fighting Transnational Gangs: Governor Hochul is proposing to increase support to take on transnational trafficking. This includes strengthening efforts to prevent trafficking of weapons, drugs and people.
  

• Supporting Victims: Governor Hochul is proposing increased support for victims of domestic violence, assault, bolstering child advocacy centers. She is proposing to hold hospitals accountable to report when victims come to them with reports sexual assault to ensure they are getting access to the services they deserve.

Improving New York’s Mental Health Care

Building on Governor Hochul’s landmark mental health plan, Governor Hochul announced proposals to reduce barriers to care and ensure the facilitation of earlier intervention for individuals at risk of harm by revising the criteria for involuntary commitment and more.

• Existing Investments: Governor Hochul has invested $1 billion in enhanced mental health care services throughout the state. She has provided funds to add 1,000 beds, and to date about 700 have already opened.
  

• Involuntary Commitment: The Governor plans to propose language to add an additional standard for involuntary commitment — she doesn’t take that lightly. Her plan does not criminalize homelessness or mental illness. However, if someone–because of their mental illness is unable to accept help to meet their basic needs like sourcing food, etc., then we must engage with them compassionately to connect them with the help they need.
  

• Expanding Beds To Increase Access to Involuntary Commitment Standards: Currently, state law allows for involuntary commitment if you are an imminent threat to yourself or others. Governor Hochul is proposing to adopt a ‘grave disability standard’ here. 20 other states do this.

Supporting New York’s Families

Governor Hochul fights for New York’s families the way she would her own and she
knows families need support now more than ever. That is why she is making investments to ensure families across the state can thrive.

• Investing in Child Care: Governor Hochul has made it clear that we need to move to provide universal childcare. She is making bold first steps by proposing to invest $110 million in capital grants to increase availability of quality child care and by creating a substitute pool for child care centers to ensure programs do not have to close if a provider is sick or otherwise unable to provide care. Governor Hochul understands that childcare must be affordable and available to all parents.
  

• Expanding Baby Benefit Program: Governor Hochul is proposing to enhance the baby benefit program–which serves TANF eligible moms– to $50 to $100 each month and $1,200 at the birth of a child — investments like this are designed to lift up families and reduce maternal and infant death in first months.
  

• Baby Boxes: Governor Hochul is proposing a program that would provide baby boxes for moms which would include diapers, formula, onesies, information about developmental milestones, services, help and more. The program is estimated to reach 100,000 babies at implementation.

Creating More Homes and Protecting Housing Affordability

Governor Hochul will build upon her commitment to address the housing shortage and increase affordability by creating more homeownership opportunities, strengthening State support to unlock local housing development and taking actions to protect housing affordability. Governor Hochul’s five-year plan to build and renovate 100,000 affordable homes is more than 50 percent complete – ahead of schedule. 

• Unlocking Local Housing: Strengthening tools to unlock housing development, including vacant or historic property redevelopment.
  

• Disincentivizing Institutional Investors: Proposing legislation to crack down on landlords using price-fixing algorithms to drive up housing costs and restricting private equity purchases of single and two-family homes.
  

• Provide Starter Home Innovation Funding: proposing $50 million in capital funding to incentivize the building of more starter homes, including innovative approaches to homebuilding such as the use of factory-built and modular development.
  

• Support First-Time Homebuyers Down Payment Assistance: Providing $50 million in new state funding to support New Yorkers struggling to save for down payments and help more individuals and families achieve the dream of homeownership.