2025 Empower Black NY Agenda from BPHA Caucus calls for billions in investment
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ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Black lawmakers representing the legislature's Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian (BPHA) Caucus unveiled an “Empower Black New York Agenda” in early February—Black History Month. To fight deep economic and racial gaps, they advocated for a legislative package with funding for housing, jobs, health, education, and justice for Black New Yorkers.
You can read the entire platform, including the suite of legislation, at the end of this story. Or, take a look at the full press conference below:
Democratic Assemblymember Michaelle Solages chairs the caucus, and laid out clear budget asks and legislative priorities. She and other Black leaders from the BPHA Caucus outlined budget asks for the governor and highlighted several laws that they said would help their communities.
Education took a big slice of the agenda. The caucus asked for a new Foundation Aid formula to fund schools and their students with disabilities or facing homelessness. They also want $30 million to expand college programs inside prisons so inmates can earn degrees. Plus, they earmarked potential funds for high school environmental science, teacher diversity efforts, statewide meetings for educators of color, and student debt relief.
Budget asks: Over $2 billion
- $2 billion increase for Foundation Aid
- $30 million for the Higher Education in Prison Program
- $18 million increase for Higher Education Opportunity Programs
- $10 million for a Teacher Diversity Initiative
- $2.1 million for the Timbuctoo Pipeline, introducing kids to careers in environmental science
- $500,000 for Underrepresented Educators Conventions for professional development
- $250,000 for an Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program for student loans
Legislation:
- S30/S3161: Reassigns the Amistad Commission to the Department of Education
- S134/A118: Revises school policies to reduce suspensions
- S2237/A2125: Ends legacy admissions in higher education
- S4154/A2362: Expands discrimination protections and increases transparency in hiring educators
- S519: Starts an Underrepresented Teachers of Tomorrow program to recruit and retain teachers of color
- A2184: Proposes a Commission on African American History and Achievement to include Black history in school
The caucus fought for Black jobs and local businesses, too. They pushed for a year-round youth work program, raising wages for human service workers, opening an artificial intelligence pipeline for Black youth, and a review looking for bias in civil service exams. A $22 million proposal promised hands-on training in green climate and clean energy jobs, while support for Black farmers came with a $30 million price tag.
Budget asks: Over $1 billion
- $1 billion for Year-Round Youth Workforce training program
- $30 million for Black Farmers United of NY
- $22 million for Climate and Clean Energy Workforce Development
Legislation:
- S115/A2607: Increases resources for diverse arts and culture organizations
- S1580/A2590: Makes human services programs eligible for cost-of-living adjustments and salary increases
- S2439/A359: Expands minority and women owned business participation by ending unnecessary contract bundling in state contracts
- S1996: Calls for a study on a potential state-run public bank
- A1871: Establishes oversight of minority and women owned business procurement
- A3898: Prevents Medicaid audits from penalizing small healthcare businesses
- S8498A/A10254 (2024): Requires that unsuccessful bidders get detailed debriefings
Their agenda aggregated bills that would boost Black homeownership and wealth, including a first-home grant program, a faith-based affordable housing law, and new procedures so lower-income tenants can buy or keep their homes. They also backed a credit for repairs on historic houses.
Budget asks: Roughly $481 million
- $250 million for the Housing Access Voucher Program
- $100 million for improving bus transit programs outside of New York City
- $50 million for direct support to Black-led community groups
- $40 million for to help homeowners protect their property from deed theft
- $30 million increase for Upstate Transportation Expansion
- $10 million for the Fair Housing Testing Program
- $1 million to slow gentrification for proposed cease and desist zones
Legislation:
- S3150/A787: Proposes a state first home grant program
- S3564/A2274: Uses fines from real estate appraisers for an anti-discrimination housing fund
- S7791A/A8386A: Offers a faith-based affordable housing act
- S401: Creates the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act
- S405: Adds properties to the qualified historic home repair credit
- A446: Targets mold remediation in NYC public housing
- A4965: Enacts the House New Yorkers First Act
- S7971/A9332 (2024): Designates Brooklyn as a cease and desist zone
Lawmakers did not forget Black immigrants. They asked for $100 million to offer legal help to immigrants facing deportation. They said they'd use funds for immigrant support groups, expanded language services outside of New York City, and help with jobs, health care, and education for Black immigrants. Though not connected to specific legislation that we could find, SNAP4All—expanding food assistance to undocumented residents—also received backing from the caucus.
Budget asks: Roughly $120 million
- $100 million for the Access to Representation Act, guaranteeing legal counsel to immigrants facing deportation
- $10 million for the Language Access Expansion Act
- $10 million for Black Immigration Services to help in legal, employment, health, and education matters
The caucus also prioritized reforming civil rights and criminal justice in New York. Lawmakers pushed for the creation of an anti-gun-violence office and $50 million for youth justice programs. They want a GAP Fund for people getting out of prison and new rules that let courts review cases with very long prison sentences. They also advocated for independent checks in prisons, laws that restore jury rights, and treating people for substance abuse or mental health issues, relying on community programs instead of incarceration.
Budget asks: Roughly $60 million
- $50 million for Youth Justice Reform alternatives to incarceration and support reentry
- $6.1 million for the Youth Justice Innovation Fund to improve education and job training in detention
- $2 million for the Correctional Association of New York for independent prison oversight
- $500,000 for the Bard Prison Initiative
- GAP Fund: providing $425/month for six months to help the formerly incarcerated
Legislation:
- S158/A1283: Lets courts reconsider excessive prison sentences
- S159/A127: Reforms parole eligibility to speed up fair releases
- S394/A403: Sets rules for processing gubernatorial pardon applications
- S454/A514: Expands parole options for inmates over 55
- S1085/A3412: Voter suppression crackdown
- S4002/A4962: Automatically expunges records of unconstitutional NYPD stops
- S4547/A8524A: The Treatment Not Jail Act, shifting people with substance use or mental health issues from prison to treatment
- S1403: Enacts “Cariol's Law,” requiring police to step in when witnessing excessive force
- S1707: Proposes a Correctional Ombudsman Office for inmate complaints
- S2240: Removes lifetime jury duty bans for felony convicts
The legislators also back mental and physical health initiatives. They promised to get together a $10 million Mothers and Infants Lasting Change allowance for expecting and new moms. Five million dollars for Black women’s health, another $5 million for a Mental Health Corps, another $5 million for sickle cell treatment, and $4 million more for cancer screenings would target barriers in health care. Lawmakers also planned for a task force to protect Black youth from suicide.
Budget asks: Roughly $30 million
- $10 million for the Mothers and Infants Lasting Change Allowance
- $5 million for the Black Women’s Health Initiative
- $5 million for the Mental Health Corps
- $5 million for the Syd O. Sotillo Sickle Cell Treatment Act
- $4 million for the Community Cancer Screening Initiative
- $450,000 for the Primary Care Development Corporation
Legislation:
- S3881: Creates maternal and child care centers in Brooklyn and the Bronx
- A1797: Requires clear labels on hair relaxers
- A4018: Creates the New York Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act
- A4558: Sustainability plan at SUNY Downstate Medical Center
- A5017: Creates health centers based in the New York City Housing Authority
The Empower Black New York Agenda also covered family wellbeing. A potential Child and Family Wellbeing Fund would help families meet basic needs, while free child care would ease the burden for working parents. New bills would clarify parental rights in child protection cases and stop false, anonymous complaints.
Legislation:
- S550/A66: Makes child abuse reporting confidential rather than anonymous
- S551/A1234: Requires child protective services to share more information with parents
- S845/A860: Requires consent before drug testing pregnant people and newborns
- A1211: Directs the Office of Children and Family Services to create a center for fatherhood initiatives
- A4940: Enables visitation between children and birth parents after adoption or termination of parental rights
Take a look at the 2025 Empower Black New York Agenda below:
- Clearing up confusion on ICE raids in the Capital Region
- Albany airport expecting increase in travelers for holiday, school break
- Troy repairing water main at Hoosick Street, 10th Street
- House panel advances budget resolution after marathon meeting
- Deadline to switch political parties before NY primary is Feb. 14