By Hank Russell
Governor Kathy Hochul gave her State of the State speech in Albany on January 14, focusing on affordability, taxes, public safety, and climate change, to name a few. But Republican elected officials panned her speech, which they said was full of “rhetoric” and only offered “band-aid ‘solutions.'” They also said some of her proposals were the same ones that the GOP Assembly introduced.
In her speech, Hochul proposed a “sweeping middle-class income tax cut” which she said would total $1 billion and benefit 8.3 million taxpayers earning less than $323,000 a year. According to Hochul, her proposed tax cut would bring down the tax rate to its lowest level in 70 years. “By itself, it’s a monumental win for New Yorkers in the battle for affordability,” Hochul said.
She also introduced the Inflation Refund — which she calls the first in the nation. Under her proposal, individuals would get back $300 and families will receive $500. “We’ll return billions and billions of dollars in surplus sales tax revenue directly to … hardworking New Yorkers. … That’s real money back in your pocket.”
Hochul also proposed a child tax credit of up to $1,000 for families with babies and children up to the age of four and increasing the tax credit for school-age children to $500 next year. According to Hochul, every dollar in tax credits generates $1.25 in economic activity. “If you think about it, it makes good economic sense,” she said.
But some in Albany weren’t buying into her plan. When his fellow legislators returned to Albany last week, “suddenly, everyone is talking about affordability — an issue the Assembly Republican Conference has been vocal on for years,” Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) said.
Ra noted that the Assembly GOP minority introduced the Inflation Relief and Consumer Assistance Plan when inflation was at over 9%. He said it would save New Yorkers money by reducing taxes on everyday items. Last year, he proposed A Blueprint for Childcare, which he said would save families $2,300 annually in childcare costs. He also introduced a bill that would have expanded the Empire State Tax Credit, but was held up by the Ways & Means Committee.
“Despite claiming to focus on affordability, Governor Hochul’s proposals clearly tell a different story,” Ra said.
“Governor Hochul addressed numerous issues many New York families are gravely concerned about as she was finally forced to face the music from frustrated residents being driven out-of-state due to the high cost of living and serious public safety issues,” Assemblyman Keith Brown (R,C-Northport) said. “Yet, Hochul’s band-aid ‘solutions’ to these issues leave a lot to be desired and her lack of consistency in her proposals is glaring.”
Some of the other solutions she offered, Brown said, originally came from him. That included legislation to help train students in school districts identify mental health crises in their peers, cutting back on cellphone usage when class is in session and protecting children from exploitative features in online products.
Ra said that Hochul’s congestion pricing plan — which charges drivers $9 to enter Manhattan during peak hours — will hike fees for truck drivers and make it more expensive to use a rideshare or take a cab. In addition, she introduced a “cap-and-invest” plan which, Ra said, could drive gas prices up by 12 cents per gallon. “That doesn’t sound like affordability to me,” he said.
Brown said the congestion pricing plan “aims to help dig the MTA out of the deep financial pit it dug for itself due to its blatant mismanagement — something New York taxpayers should not be made responsible for fixing.” While this may help the environment, he said, ” in the long run, it will be extremely detrimental to businesses and suburban Long Island commuters.”
Assemblyman Daniel Norber (R,C-Great Neck) agreed. “Long Islanders are struggling under skyrocketing housing and energy costs, driving families out of our state,” he said. “We don’t need more empty rhetoric — we need real solutions that bring down the cost of living. It’s time to stop the state’s exodus with policies that prioritize hardworking residents and make New York affordable again. The future of our state depends on it.”
On the issue of crime, Hochul noted that, under her tenure, her administration streamlined coordination between local district attorneys and law enforcement so that offenders are quickly punished. But Ra was unconvinced.
“Public safety is another major concern that New Yorkers have repeatedly voiced, yet it remains absent from our governor’s agenda. I am committed to fighting for a more affordable and safer New York. Enough with the lip service—we need real solutions.”