Fighting To Cut Taxes for the Middle Class, Expand the Child Tax Credit and Send Inflation Refund Checks to New Yorkers

Fighting Crime With Proposals To Streamline Discovery Laws, Invest $370 Million in Gun Violence Prevention and Surge Law Enforcement on Subways

Pushing To Strengthen Laws Allowing Providers To Deliver Care and Treatment to Individuals With Severe Mental Illness

Governor Kathy Hochul on April 21st, rallied in Rochester alongside community leaders and elected officials as she continues to demand a State Budget deal that makes New York safer and more affordable. The rally comes after a week in which the Governor met with District Attorneys, domestic violence survivors, small business owners, law enforcement professionals and union leaders to highlight her commonsense public safety proposals.

“I won’t stop fighting for a State Budget that puts money back in your pockets and makes our state safer — and everywhere I go, it’s clear that New Yorkers agree,” Governor Hochul said. “That’s why my message to the Legislature is simple: Let’s get it done.”

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With the cost of living continuing to rise, Governor Hochul’s Affordability Agenda will put billions back into the pockets of everyday New Yorkers. This includes:

• Middle-class tax cuts across five of the State’s nine tax brackets, cutting rates to their lowest level in nearly 70 years for New Yorkers who file jointly and earn up to $323,000 annually
• Expanding the Child Tax Credit over two years, giving eligible parents $1,000 for kids under 4 years old and $500 for kids ages 4-16
• Providing Inflation Refund checks of up to $500 to 8.6 million New Yorkers
• Providing free school breakfast and free school lunch for every student in New York
• Fighting for the full repeal of the State and Local Tax deduction, which costs New Yorkers up to $12 billion each year

While maintaining the essential features of the 2019 reforms, Governor Hochul’s proposed changes to New York State’s Discovery Law would ensure procedural fairness, shorten case processing times, reduce the length of pretrial incarceration and safeguard sensitive and personal information belonging to witnesses. These changes include:

• Expanding the scope of automatic redaction to include sensitive details, such as witnesses’ physical addresses and personal information, eliminating the need to engage in lengthy litigation to redact such material.
• Removing the incentive to delay bringing a challenge in a manner that can result in technical dismissals unrelated to the merits of the case or the legality of the investigation.
• Requiring courts to look at the case as a whole and whether any error caused prejudice to the defense, which will prevent cases from being dismissed if discovery compliance falls short of perfection.
• Narrowing the scope of automatic discovery to eliminate the need to track down certain information that is by definition irrelevant.

I won’t stop fighting for a State Budget that puts money back in your pockets and makes our state safer."

Governor Kathy Hochul

The Governor’s FY26 Executive Budget Proposal continues record-level funding to further improve public safety and invests $370 million to support local and state law enforcement initiatives, youth employment programs and community-based organizations that increase opportunity for individuals and families and strengthen neighborhoods. Additionally, the proposal includes $77 million to continue surging law enforcement on subways throughout New York City's transit system.

Governor Hochul’s proposal includes critical updates to involuntary commitment laws to further clarify that individuals could be involuntarily admitted if they are at significant risk of physical harm when their mental illness prevents them from being able to meet their basic needs such as food, shelter and medical care. These changes will align New York with 43 other states, help vulnerable New Yorkers access the care they need, and further strengthen the continuity of mental health care statewide. It will also allow psychiatric nurse practitioners to participate in the commitment process in some instances.

The Governor’s budget proposal also includes amendments to Kendra’s Law, which governs Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) — an intervention that has demonstrated success reducing negative outcomes like criminal justice involvement and homelessness. The Governor’s Budget proposal also increases funding and enhances oversight over the program.

Representative Joe Morelle said, “While Republicans in Washington play politics with public safety and propose cuts to programs our families depend on, Governor Hochul is focused on what matters: safety, stability, and opportunity. This budget provides bold, people-first solutions to help families pay the rent, fill the fridge, and cover childcare, and works to make our community safer. I'm grateful to Governor Hochul for her leadership and dedication to Rochester, and I'm proud to stand with her in support of this budget.”

State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “This year’s state budget is about quality of life. As the federal government makes reckless cuts to education spending and implements tariffs that will raise prices for hardworking Americans, we’ll be putting money back in the hands of families, investing in the success of our children with universal school meals and free books through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and making sure New York State is a place everyone can thrive. I’m grateful for Governor Hochul’s partnership as we continue working towards a budget that delivers for Rochester, Monroe County, and all New Yorkers.”

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said, “Governor Hochul’s Affordability Agenda is bold, smart, and exactly what New Yorkers need right now. From lowering taxes on middle class people and families, to a first-of-its-kind inflation reduction refund and increasing the Empire State Child Tax Credit, this budget is a necessary step towards easing the financial burden on working families across the state. Groundbreaking initiatives like the Monroe Ladder Demonstration program and the Transformational Community Care Coordination program will directly benefit Monroe County residents, helping to bridge the gap and revolutionize services for those who live here.”

Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said, “Governor Hochul’s proposed Executive Budget reflects our shared belief that investing in the people of New York and providing the level of service they deserve is the fundamental role of government. This budget puts money into the pockets of New Yorkers, whose spending choices will circulate and multiply throughout the economy and build prosperity across the entire state. I want to thank Governor Hochul for her continued commitment to the Finger Lakes region and helping us create a safe, equitable and prosperous Rochester by inspiring hope and delivering opportunity for everyone.”

President & CEO of Foodlink Julia Tedesco said, “Foodlink’s mission is to end hunger and build healthier communities. The demand for our services has never been greater, and that is directly tied to the high cost of living right now. We are grateful that the New York State budget is making significant investments to provide economic relief for the communities that we serve through expanded tax credits and universal school lunch. We are particularly thankful that NYS continues to lead the nation in its support for food banks and the emergency food assistance network that we convene in Rochester.”