New York Gov. Kathy Hochul outlined her agenda for 2024 in a State of the State deal with on Tuesday, with the Democrat specializing in housing, crime and schooling insurance policies forward of a pivotal election season in a state whose races may decide management of Congress.
Hochul has spent the previous week debuting pillars of her agenda, calling for an overhaul of literacy schooling and paid medical go away throughout pregnancy, amongst different issues. In her speech on the state Capitol in Albany, she previewed further motion to extend the housing provide and make the state extra reasonably priced, and an initiative to fight retail theft.
The deal with got here as each Republicans and Democrats have positioned elevated consideration on New York as a possible battleground state for the U.S. Home in November, including a degree of nationwide significance to the governor’s agenda this 12 months. For Hochul, the looming political dynamics may show difficult as she strikes to compromise with progressive statehouse Democrats whereas not exposing her celebration’s congressional candidates to assaults from conservatives.
A significant precedence for Hochul this 12 months is to achieve a cope with progressives to create extra housing within the state, a politically vexing drawback that has beforehand confirmed elusive however stays a tenant of her affordability plans.
The governor final 12 months pushed onerous on a housing plan that ultimately failed after it was panned in the city’s suburbs for provisions that may have set development targets and generally let the state override native zoning choices. This 12 months, with the suburbs rising as must-win areas for congressional Democrats, Hochul is taking a special tack.
She is proposing a $500 million fund to help the development of housing on state-owned land and desires to reestablish a program that beforehand gave builders tax breaks in the event that they agreed to create so-called reasonably priced housing in buildings in New York Metropolis. As well as, Hochul is pushing for sure state funding applications to require that native governments prioritize housing development.
The governor’s plans additionally embody a tax break for builders who flip workplace buildings into residential items if they comply with embody below-market charge housing.
State Senate Majority Chief Andrea Stewart-Cousins has informed reporters that Senate Democrats have been pushing for a housing settlement that focuses on tenant protections. Up to now, these have included measures to forestall landlords from evicting residents with out a so-called good trigger, resembling failure to pay hire.
Hochul can also be transferring to get forward of Republican criticisms about crime that damage Democrats through the 2022 congressional elections.
She is proposing a regulation enforcement job pressure on retail theft and the creation of a state police crew targeted on organized retail theft rings, together with further state funding for such applications. The governor additionally plans to determine a tax credit score for small enterprise house owners to assist offset the price of sure retailer safety measures, and can suggest laws to extend prison penalties for assaulting a retail employee.
This 12 months’s legislative session will embody a contentious congressional redistricting course of that would impression which celebration controls the Home.
A bipartisan redistricting fee will submit a proposed map to lawmakers on the finish of February which may then be accepted or altered by Democrats who management the Legislature. Democrats are broadly anticipated to attempt to give their celebration a bonus in essential districts forward of the autumn elections.
Democrats have devoted main monetary and marketing campaign assets towards their aim of retaking a handful of congressional districts in New York in November. Republicans are aiming to carry onto the seats.
The primary bellwether may come quickly: A particular election of a successor to George Santos, the New York Republican who was expelled from the Home, will likely be held Feb. 13.
