Recap: 2025 State of the State
Governor Hochul’s 2025 State of the State laid out an ambitious vision for New Yorkers: middle class tax cuts, affordability for families, and improvements to housing, public safety, education, and youth mental health.
Governor Hochul aims to tackle the affordability crisis in New York by offering an inflation refund which would return $3 million to more than 8 million New Yorkers: joint tax filers who make less than $300,000 would receive $500, and single taxpayers who make less than $150,000 would receive $300. She also proposed a $100 million investment in a pro-housing fund to support critical housing infrastructure projects, creating the state’s first revolving loan fund to spur mixed-income rental development outside of New York City, and passing legislation to address rent-price fixing collusion by landlords.
The governor put together a package of ideas to tackle affordability for New Yorkers starting a family, including establishing the New York State Birth Allowance for Beginning Year (BABY Benefits), which would give families who receive public assistance an additional $100 per month during pregnancy and $1,200 at birth; expanding the New York Child Tax Credit which would give 1.6 million New York families an annual tax credit of up to $1,000 per child up to age 3, and $500 for kids aged 4 through 16; and expanding childcare accessibility by investing $110 million to build childcare centers and repair existing ones.
Governor Hochul announced the Unplug and Play initiative which promotes child mental and physical health. This initiative will create and fund grant programs such as Building Recreational Infrastructure for Communities and Kids and Seniors (NY BRICKS). Additionally, the Governor proposed a grant program to support municipalities and nonprofit organizations in building or renovating community centers that promote physical health, mental well-being, and community connections for youth and older adults. The Governor announced additional investments in her “Get Out, Get Offline” campaign, her plan to ban internet-enabled devices in schools and work with community centers.
Other proposed investments include Places for Learning, Activity, and Youth Socialization (NY PLAYS) and the New York Statewide Investment In More Swimming (NY SWIMS). Both would provide significant investments in infrastructure and construction projects for new and existing playground and swimming facilities. NY SWIMS is the largest investment in swimming infrastructure since the New Deal, with $150 million in capital grants funding 37 pool projects across New York. To improve the lives of students, young and old, the Governor proposed an expansion of free school lunches for grades K-12, and free tuition at CUNY and SUNY community colleges for a select cohort (those 25 years or older and pursuing “in demand” degrees).
Governor Hochul also addressed public safety, announcing new initiatives to protect subway riders by increasing police patrols overnight and equipping stations with additional safety features. The Governor also announced a criminal justice plan which includes changes in the discovery process, amending reforms passed in 2019 that will “streamline the process to ensure fair trials, end procedural delays and hold criminals accountable.” She announced other bold initiatives for supporting sexual assault victims and combating gender-based violence and sex trafficking (including those from transnational criminal networks).
While these proposals have the potential to completely transform life throughout the state, as with all “State of the” speeches, they represent one leader’s vision, and will undoubtedly face challenges in the legislature. Time will tell which of these 200 initiatives are enacted as described, which are compromised, and which are tossed out.
