Gov. Hochul to deliver 2025 State of the State address
ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) -- New York Governor Kathy Hochul is set to deliver the 2025 State of the State address on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at The Egg in the Empire State Plaza. You can watch her full address in the player above once it starts around 1 p.m.
Ahead of the address, Hochul has been outlining some of her proposals for the year. The plans must then be discussed in the state legislature to become official. Affordability appears to be her biggest theme.
Expansion of New York’s child tax credit
Hochul has proposed expanding New York’s child tax credit for more than 2.75 million children. The plan 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.
Child care accessibility
Hochul is proposing $110 million to build more childcare centers. The money would go toward building new facilities or repairing existing ones. She's also proposing creating a "Substitute Pool" of vetted, trusted professionals who can step in when there is a staff shortage to keep the facility open.
Making homeownership more affordable
Hochul is looking to create more homeownership opportunities for New Yorkers. This proposal calls for disincentivizing investors from buying one- and two-family homes, building more starter homes, supporting first-time homebuyers with down payment assistance, creating an affordable homebuyer tax incentive, and strengthening laws to combat home appraisal discrimination.
Free school meals
Hochul is looking to provide over 2.7 million public school students in New York with free breakfast and lunch. The program would feed students regardless of a family’s annual income or whether the school participates in federal programs. Analysis from Hochul’s office estimates that free public school meals would cut the grocery bills for families by about $165 per child per month.
Education and youth mental health
Hochul has proposed expanding youth mental health services, including providing high schoolers with teen mental health first-aid training, supporting mental health in after-school programs, developing youth safe spaces, and expanding the Latina Mentoring Initiative and creating the Black Girls Mentoring Initiative.
With education specifically, Hochul is looking to create a College-in-High-School Opportunity Fund to make college more affordable, create new Registered Apprenticeships and Pre-Apprenticeships in popular occupations, and recruit students for a summer work experience program.
Creating the Crime Analysis Joint Special Operations Command Headquarters
Hochul has proposed creating the nation's first-ever Crime Analysis and Joint Special Operations Command Headquarters to help fight crime and coordinate information among hundreds of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Hochul is also looking to secure more funding in Law Enforcement Technology (LETECH) grants.
Investment in Hudson Valley rail service
This proposal includes the planning, evaluation, and design for a set of rail infrastructure capital improvements between New York City and Poughkeepsie. These projects include adding a second track at Spuyten Duyvil, interlocking, signaling, and trackwork at Croton Harmon, and capacity improvements at Poughkeepsie Yard.