Bilt, the housing and neighborhood commerce fintech, signed a 15-year lease for a 58,000-square-foot headquarters at 837 Washington Street in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, a move expected to create 625 high-paying jobs while retaining more than 200 staff. Backed by up to $6.25 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits, the company plans more than $50 million in R&D to enhance payments, rewards, AI and security, with the renovated site slated to open in early 2026. Founded in 2019 and launched in 2021, Bilt reports over five million members, free rent-reporting to build credit, and plans to expand into mortgage-related rewards; the company has raised $850 million, is valued above $10.75 billion, and says it is on track to process more than $100 billion in housing-related spending annually while driving over $10 billion in purchases to a network of 40,000 merchants.
Governor Hochul Announces Fintech Leader Bilt to Expand With New Manhattan Headquarters, Creating Over 600 Jobs
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that Bilt, a housing and neighborhood commerce platform, will establish its new headquarters at 837 Washington Street in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District under a 15-year lease. The 58,000-square-foot space will be fully renovated to accommodate the company’s growth, creating 625 new jobs while retaining more than 200 existing employees. Supported by up to $6.25 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits from Empire State Development, the project includes more than $50 million in research and development investment to advance Bilt’s fintech products, payment systems and consumer engagement tools.
“New York is the nation’s undisputed leader in finance and technology, and Bilt’s decision to grow and develop here underscores the unmatched talent, energy and opportunity that only New York can offer,” Governor Hochul said. “Bilt’s expansion and long-term commitment reflect the kind of homegrown innovation we are proud to support. Their success story is a reminder that when companies invest in New York, they not only strengthen our communities but also help shape the future of technology and economic growth across the state.”
Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Bilt’s expansion represents the kind of forward-thinking investment that strengthens New York’s position as the global capital of fintech innovation. By choosing to grow in New York and create hundreds of high-paying jobs, Bilt is demonstrating confidence in our state’s unparalleled talent pool and business ecosystem. Empire State Development is committed to ensuring that companies like Bilt can continue to innovate, expand and generate lasting benefits for communities across the state.”
Bilt Founder and CEO Ankur Jain said, “New York City is where Bilt was born, and it’s where we’ll continue to grow. This 15-year commitment to the Meatpacking District represents our unwavering belief in New York as the epicenter of innovation and the perfect place to build an American-made platform that connects people to rewarding experiences in their homes and neighborhoods. There’s no better neighborhood than the Meatpacking District to showcase what happens when commerce, community and culture come together.”
Founded in 2019 and launched in 2021, Bilt has grown into the nation’s largest housing and neighborhood commerce platform, built and operated in New York City. The company serves more than five million members nationwide, and its platform — which includes a suite of tools for rent payments, dining, travel and neighborhood commerce — enables consumers to earn rewards on everyday housing and lifestyle expenses.
The company has raised over $850 million in venture capital, reached a valuation of over $10.75 billion, and is on track to process more than $100 billion annually in housing-related spending while driving over $10 billion annually in spending to a network of over 40,000 neighborhood merchants including fitness studios, restaurants and pharmacies.
Bilt offers free rent reporting capabilities that enable tenants to build their credit history simply by paying their rent on time, and with plans to soon expand into mortgage-related rewards and benefits, the company is creating a path for both renters and homeowners to strengthen their financial futures while engaging in Bilt’s broader rewards ecosystem.
Bilt, which currently operates from its Lower Manhattan office, will lease approximately 58,000 square feet at 837 Washington Street, transforming a vacant building into a state-of-the-art headquarters expected to open in early 2026 following extensive renovations. The new facility will support the company’s expanding operations in artificial intelligence, engineering, product development, data analytics and partnership integration, while anchoring more than $50 million in research and development investment in New York. These R&D efforts will drive advances in payment processing, rewards technology, platform scalability and secure, privacy-focused financial transactions.
Bilt’s decision to expand in Manhattan highlights the strength of New York City’s fintech sector and the broader innovation economy. With access to world-class talent, deep pools of capital, leading research institutions and an unmatched entrepreneurial spirit, New York offers the ideal environment for companies to scale and succeed. Expansions by high-growth firms like Figma, Rippling and Rokt, alongside new investments from global leaders across technology and finance, continue to reinforce this momentum. By choosing to grow here, Bilt is contributing to New York’s position as a premier destination for fintech innovation—where breakthrough companies build the technologies and platforms that are reshaping how consumers engage with financial services.
Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York’s fintech sector has experienced remarkable growth, cementing the state’s position as a national hub for innovation and financial technology. Since, 2021, fintech jobs in New York State have grown by 28 percent — a rate 14 times faster than the national average.
Meatpacking District Management Association Executive Director Jeffrey LeFrancois said, “We are thrilled to welcome Bilt to the Meatpacking District, a tremendous investment that underscores our neighborhood’s strength as a hub of innovation, tech, and commerce. This commitment will bring hundreds of high-quality jobs while breathing new life into an iconic neighborhood building. Thank you to Governor Hochul and Empire State Development for supporting this investment through the Excelsior Jobs Program, helping the Meatpacking District and New York continue to thrive.”
New York City Councilmember Erik Bottcher said, “We are thrilled to welcome Bilt’s new headquarters to the Meatpacking District. This investment not only brings hundreds of good jobs to our community, but also breathes new life into a historic building while strengthening New York City’s role as a global leader in fintech innovation.”
.—New York on Oct. 2 opened applications for the 2026–27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the state’s Tuition Assistance Program and the NYS STEM Incentive Program, part of a push to expand college affordability with roughly $800 million in annual TAP awards and broadened eligibility that has already brought aid to nearly 38,000 newly eligible students. FAFSA remains the gateway to Pell Grants, Work-Study and state programs; a “Universal FAFSA” law has lifted completions about 12%, placing the state sixth nationally. The STEM scholarship covers SUNY/CUNY tuition for students graduating in the top 10% who commit to five years of STEM work in New York. Non-citizen students may qualify via the DREAM Act or an Alternate Eligibility Pathway. Deadlines: FAFSA/TAP for 2026–27 run through June 30, 2027; TAP for 2025–26 closes June 30, 2026; STEM applications are due Aug. 15, 2026.
Governor Hochul Announces the Opening of Key New York State College Aid Applications for the 2026-27 Academic Year
NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and STEM Incentive Program Applications Now Being Accepted
“Programs like TAP and the STEM Incentive Program are vital in providing New York students with the financial support and opportunities they need to pursue higher education and achieve their dreams,” Governor Hochul said. “Equally important is completing the FAFSA, which opens the door to essential federal financial aid. These programs help students to overcome financial barriers, access quality education, and create a stronger future for themselves and their communities.”
NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) With approximately $800 million awarded each year, TAP is one of the most robust need-based financial aid programs in the nation. Governor Hochul’s recent historic expansions have made more students eligible to receive TAP, and New York is already seeing the results. Nearly 38,000 students who have become newly eligible are now receiving awards, contributing to more than $71 million in aid to students and their families. Together with the increased income thresholds and expanded access for part-time and non-degree students, New York is opening doors of opportunity to help ensure more residents can pursue higher education with the financial support they need to succeed.
NYS STEM Incentive Program The NYS STEM Incentive Program provides scholarships that cover the cost of tuition to eligible students who are in the top 10 percent of high school graduates who pursue STEM degrees at SUNY or CUNY colleges. Recipients must commit to working in a STEM field in New York State for five years after graduation, helping to strengthen New York in critical industries. Learn more or apply for STEM here.
Students who do not meet citizenship and residency requirements may still qualify for New York State financial aid through alternate pathways, such as the Senator José Peralta New York State DREAM Act or the Alternate Eligibility Pathway. Learn more about the available options by visiting the Applying for Aid webpage.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Completing the FAFSA is one of the most important steps for students planning to attend college. The application determines eligibility for federal aid, including the Pell Grant, Federal Work-Study, and low-interest federal student loans, and is also used to help determine eligibility for state programs such as TAP, Excelsior, and STEM.
To ensure New York students aren’t missing out on hundreds of millions in federal financial aid, Governor Hochul introduced the Universal FAFSA Completion legislation, which requires graduating high school seniors to complete the application. This landmark initiative is helping students access the financial aid they qualify for, making higher education more affordable and accessible for students and their families. Since enacting, completions have increased by nearly 12% throughout the state, making New York State sixth in the nation for FAFSA completions.
New York State Higher Education Services Corporation President Dr. Guillermo Linares said, “HESC’s mission is to ensure that higher education remains within reach for every student in New York. With TAP, the STEM Incentive Program, and the FAFSA now open, students have more opportunities to secure the financial support they need. By completing these applications, families can reduce the burden of college costs and help students pursue their dreams.”
State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said, “TAP and STEM programs help students go to college who otherwise couldn’t afford it. With FAFSA completions up and more middle-class families eligible for TAP, New York is proving that higher education can be both excellent and affordable. These are families that would have likely sent their kids to school out of state. The improvements to TAP and STEM are continuing to help students in all sectors of higher education across the state.”
Assemblymember Alicia L. Hyndman said, “Expanding access to higher education is one of the most meaningful investments we can make in our young people and in the future of New York. Thanks to the NYS Assembly for the expansion of the Tuition Assistance Program, more families—including nearly 38,000 newly eligible students—are receiving the support they need to pursue a college degree. With applications now open for TAP, the STEM Incentive Program, and FAFSA, students in Queens and across the state have greater access to vital financial aid. I am proud to support initiatives that reduce financial barriers and ensure every student has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.”
State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “There is a place at SUNY for every New Yorker, and by completing FAFSA, TAP, and other financial aid applications, prospective students can take an essential step in making an affordable and excellent higher education a reality. Thanks to the SUNY FAFSA Completion Corps, online and in-person FAFSA completion events, and other efforts to support Governor Hochul’s Universal FAFSA law, more New York students are able to take advantage of this empowering opportunity. SUNY is proud to join Governor Hochul in taking action to ensure students and their families are informed about all of their financial aid options.”
City University of New York Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said, “CUNY students qualify for many state financial aid programs but often fail to apply, depriving themselves of much-needed resources to complete their degree. With the opening of the application period for the 2026-27 school year, we urge all New Yorkers to apply for aid to realize their college dreams and graduate debt-free. At CUNY, we have dedicated resources available to help guide them through the process.”
New York State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said, “It’s never too early for students, parents, and families to financially plan for the future, especially when it comes to education. For New York State students considering attending college next fall, now is the time to explore the resources available to help manage the cost of higher education. By completing the FAFSA and applying for state aid—such as TAP and the STEM Incentive Program—students can unlock new opportunities and build a strong foundation for academic success.”
Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities President Lola W. Brabham said, “The Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities is deeply committed to ensuring that every student has the resources they need to succeed. With the opening of applications for TAP, STEM scholarships, and the FAFSA, families across the state gain access to critical support that makes higher education more affordable and attainable. The Commission applauds Governor Hochul’s leadership in expanding opportunity and reducing barriers for New York students.”
New York’s Association of Private Colleges President Donna Stelling-Gurnett said, “From advocating for all students to have access to TAP to promoting important resources that will help break down barriers and open doors, APC remains committed to working with our partners to ensure higher education is more affordable and accessible for students and their families. All New Yorkers should have the opportunity to pursue their dreams, and we encourage prospective students to explore the state and federal support available to help get them on the right path.”
Students applying for the 2026–27 academic year are encouraged to submit their financial aid applications as soon as possible. The 2026–27 FAFSA and New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) applications are open until June 30, 2027. Those seeking TAP assistance for the current 2025–26 academic year must submit their applications by June 30, 2026.
Students interested in the NYS STEM Incentive Program for the 2026–27 academic year must apply by August 15, 2026.
For detailed information regarding eligibility, application guidelines, and additional resources, students and families are encouraged to visit the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) website at hesc.ny.gov.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is cutting a $25 million check—the biggest single-round payout yet—to help New York farmers keep muck out of rivers and lakes, tapping the state’s Environmental Protection Fund and, for the first time, cash from the voter-approved 2022 Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Bond Act. The money fuels 50 projects in 25 counties, from giant manure-storage upgrades like a 1.4-million-gallon system at Van Patten Farms to stream buffers and cover crops—moves Albany says will clamp down on runoff, protect drinking water and keep farms competitive. Officials brag the program has steered over $250 million to on-farm conservation over three decades, with more green bucks on the way for water infrastructure and climate resilience.
Governor Hochul Announces $25 Million Awarded to Help Farmers Protect Water Quality
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that $25 million has been awarded to help New York’s farmers support agricultural water quality conservation projects. This is a record level of funding awarded in any one round of the State’s Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Abatement and Control Program (Ag Nonpoint), which is being provided through the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and, for the first time, the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act.
“By tapping into our Bond Act funding, we are now able to expand our reach and support even more on-farm projects across the State through our Ag Nonpoint program,” Governor Hochul said. “Our farmers care deeply for the land they work, so it’s critical we provide them with the resources they need and deserve to safeguard our waterways while protecting our communities and our natural resources from climate change.”
The announcement was made today at a special event held by State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball and Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton at Van Patten Farms in Preble, Cortland County. The Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District will help the farm construct a 1.4-million-gallon nutrient storage and transfer system, which will advance nutrient recycling practices for crop production and water quality in the Tioughnioga River Watershed. The Van Patten Farm, through the District, is receiving funding from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act to support implementation of the project. In total, 50 projects were funded in 25 counties across the State through Round 30 of the Ag Nonpoint Program.
New York State Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “Our Ag Nonpoint program has long been a well-known and robust resource to our farmers for three decades, helping our farmers to implement best practices that will conserve water and protect our waterways. Now, with an infusion of funding from the Bond Act, we are able to grow the program, investing in projects that will not only ensure the health of our environment but will also help ensure farms can remain competitive, profitable, and sustainable.”
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership, this latest record investment to protect water quality through the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act and the Environmental Protection Fund will help make it more affordable for farmers to implement effective environmental strategies. Today’s $25 million strengthens DEC’s ongoing partnerships with State Agriculture, local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and farmers to help prevent water pollution while also helping our agriculture economy thrive.”
The Ag Nonpoint Program provides funding to projects that focus on either environmental planning or the implementation of best management practice systems to protect New York’s watersheds. Projects include conservation measures, such as nutrient management through manure storage, vegetative buffers along streams, and conservation cover crops.
Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District Manager Amanda Barber said, “Conservation and water quality improvement practices are important for farm viability and environmental health. We are fortunate to have the support of the state and the Ag Nonpoint Source grant program to help fund conservation work on our local farms.”
Van Patten Farms, LLC. Co-Owner Steve Van Patten said, “Investments in environmental stewardship are important for the future of our farm. The Ag Nonpoint Source grant will help us improve our manure management and better utilize manure nutrients on the farm. We feel fortunate to have Soil and Water Conservation Districts supporting our efforts to improve our farm while protecting water quality for our community.”
A regional breakdown of funding is listed below. The complete list of awarded projects can be found here.
Western New York – $2,686,922
$509,572 was awarded to the Allegany County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with four farms in the Genesee River Watershed (Bond Act).
$910,075 was awarded to the Cattaraugus County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Cattaraugus Creek Watershed (EPF).
$1,267,275 was awarded to the Chautauqua County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with two farms in the Conewango Creek Watershed (EPF).
Finger Lakes – $7,862,133
$1,936,624 was awarded to the Ontario County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with six farms in the Upper Genesee Watershed (Bond Act and EPF).
$533,330 was awarded to the Seneca County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with four farms in the Cayuga Lake Watershed (EPF).
$184,745 was awarded to the Wayne County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with two farms in the Oak Orchard-Twelvemile Watershed and Lake Ontario Watershed (Bond Act).
$4,582,434 was awarded to the Wyoming County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Genesee River Watershed (Bond Act and EPF), Niagara River Watershed (Bond Act), and Buffalo-Eighteenmile Watershed (Bond Act and EPF).
$625,000 was awarded to the Yates County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with 13 farms in the Keuka Lake Watershed (EPF).
Southern Tier – $4,592,411
$300,375 was awarded to the Chenango County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Upper Susquehanna River Watershed (Bond Act).
$1,534,136 was awarded to the Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with three farms in the Delaware River Watershed (EPF) and Upper Susquehanna River Watershed (Bond Act).
$288,460 was awarded to the Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with five farms in the Owego-Wappasening Watershed (EPF) and Upper Susquehanna Watershed (Bond Act).
$2,469,440 was awarded to Tompkins County Soil & Water Conservation District to work with two farms in the Owasco Lake Watershed (Bond Act and EPF).
Central New York – $5,527,147
$1,820,100 was awarded to the Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with three farms in the Otisco Lake Watershed (Bond Act), Tioughnioga River Watershed (Bond Act), and Lower East Branch Tioughnioga River Watershed (EPF).
$797,391 was awarded to the Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with 12 farms in the Cayuga Lake Watershed (EPF).
$1,010,440 was awarded to the Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with 19 farms in the Chenango River Watershed (EPF) and Tioughnioga River Watershed (EPF).
$1,899,216 was awarded to the Onondaga County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with six farms in the Onondaga Lake Watershed (EPF), Chenango River Watershed (Bond Act), Skaneateles Lake Watershed (Bond Act), and Fabius Brook Watershed (Bond Act).
Mohawk Valley – $1,504,141
$934,148 was awarded to the Herkimer County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Mohawk River Watershed (EPF).
$569,993 was awarded to the Montgomery County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Mohawk River Watershed (EPF).
North Country – $2,225,045
$594,359 was awarded to the Clinton County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Lake Champlain Watershed (EPF).
$421,347 was awarded to the Essex County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with two farms in the Lake Champlain Watershed (Bond Act).
$1,077,740 was awarded to the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with three farms in the Black River Watershed (EPF).
$131,599 was awarded to the Lewis County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Black River Watershed (Bond Act).
Capital Region – $264,056
$75,014 was awarded to the Columbia County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Hudson River Watershed (EPF).
$189,042 was awarded to the Schenectady County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Mohawk River Watershed (EPF).
Long Island – $183,694
$183,694 was awarded to the Suffolk County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with four farms in the Long Island Sound Watershed (EPF).
State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “New York farmers are among the most dedicated stewards of our natural resources, working every day to protect our lands and waters. These grants will help them expand that work while supporting their ability to grow fresh, local food that communities across our state depend on. I thank Governor Hochul for prioritizing these investments for our environment and for the future of New York agriculture.”
State Senator Pete Harckham said, “This historic investment in the State’s Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Abatement and Control Program will help farmers and conservation districts protect the health of our fragile waterways. Thank you to Governor Hochul and the Department of Agriculture and Markets for this crucial investment in the health of our waterways.”
State Senator Lea Webb said, “As an advocate for sustainable agriculture, I’m proud to see that our state has secured a record level of funding through the Environmental Protection Fund to support agricultural water quality conservation projects. This investment in nonpoint source programming is not just a win for our farmers but for the health of our environment and future generations. By working together, we’re creating a blueprint for responsible farming that prioritizes both productivity and environmental stewardship.”
Assemblymember Donna Lupardo said, “Our Soil and Water Conservation Districts work diligently to protect NY’s natural resources. For 30 years, our Ag Nonpoint Source Program has provided them with the resources needed to develop effective on-farm solutions for NY’s farmers. This latest round of funding from the Environmental Protection Fund and now the Bond Act, will send a record amount of support for agricultural water quality conservation projects across the state. Thank you to everyone involved for their shared commitment to environmental stewardship at this important time.”
Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick said, “New York’s agriculture sector is a critically important segment of our economy. Preserving water quality while expanding operations is good environmental practice as well as good business. Our Soil and Water Conservation Districts are experts and vital partners with our farmers to ensure that farms can thrive without negative impacts to our waterways. I want to thank Governor Hochul for her ongoing support of common-sense use of our environmental funds.”
New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee Chairman Matt Brower said, “The funds awarded for Round 30 will make it possible for farms to install needed practices to protect water quality across the State. These farms, like other farms over the past 30 years, have demonstrated a commitment to installing best management practices to protect the environment. Thanks to the Soil and Water Conservation Districts for their efforts preparing the various proposals and for assisting the farmers with the planning, design, and installation of the practices.”
New York State Farm Bureau President David Fisher said, “Farmers are stewards of the land. They care deeply about the quality of water they use for their crops and animals, and they are active partners in practicing sustainability on their farms. This record-level funding for the Ag Nonpoint program will help protect our most valuable natural resource by allowing farmers to continue instituting best practices and to adapt new technologies as they become available.”
Through this latest round of the program, Round 30, a total of $25 million was made available to the State’s County and Soil and Water Conservation Districts, who applied on behalf of New York farmers: $14 million is from the Environmental Protection Fund and $11 million is from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022. The Ag Nonpoint Program is marking its 30th anniversary, and so far, through 29 rounds of funding, over $250 million has been awarded to on-farm projects.
The New York Department of Agriculture and Markets, in coordination with the New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee, administers the Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control Program through its Land and Water Division, which works to protect New York’s land and water resources through farmland protection, farmland conservation, and proactive environmental stewardship.
The Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control Program functions as part of the Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) framework, a broader effort that helps farmers achieve higher levels of environmental stewardship and more efficient, cost-effective farming systems. County Soil and Water Conservation Districts use the AEM framework to assist interested farmers through planning and implementation to make science-based and cost-effective decisions. As a result, farmers can meet business goals while conserving the State’s natural resources.
Governor Hochul’s Commitment to Soil and Water Conservation Districts
Under the Governor’s leadership, the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget provides $81.8 million through the Environmental Protection Fund, up $4 million from last year, for agricultural programs and initiatives, such as the Ag Nonpoint Program and the Climate Resilient Farming grant program, that are helping farms to implement environmentally sustainable practices and combat climate change.
This includes capital investments Soil and Water Conservation Districts oversee, such as supporting dairy farmers to implement projects that enhance manure management systems that sequester carbon and conserve manure nutrients applied to fields and soil to benefit water quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also includes recent funding in the Eastern Finger Lakes Watershed that galvanizes implementation of the plans and programs to address on-the-ground actions necessary to abate nutrient pollution and harmful algal blooms (HABs), prevent runoff, protect drinking water, and support local farmers.
In addition, the voter-approved $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022 is advancing historic levels of funding to update aging water infrastructure and protect water quality, strengthen communities’ ability to withstand severe storms and flooding, reduce air pollution and lower climate-altering emissions, restore habitats, and preserve outdoor spaces and local farms.
New York State’s Climate Agenda
New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation and waste sectors.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul is alerting residents to scams falsely claiming you must share bank or payment details to receive the state’s inflation refund check. The New York State Tax Department and IRS will never call, text, email, direct message, or mail asking for personal tax information. Eligible New Yorkers—those who filed a return, meet income thresholds, and weren’t claimed as dependents—will automatically receive checks, with more than 8.2 million households getting payments through October and November. If you get a suspicious message, block the sender, delete it, and report it to the Tax Department or IRS. Avoid clicking links, sharing personal data, or meeting anyone for “payment.” For eligibility details and consumer protection resources, visit the New York State Tax Department and Division of Consumer Protection websites. Stay vigilant to avoid tax scams and protect your identity.
Governor Hochul Warns Against Scams Targeting New York’s Inflation Refund Initiative
Scammers are Sending Text Messages, Emails and Direct Mail Falsely Claiming That New Yorkers Must Submit Payment Information To Receive an Inflation Refund Check
Eligible New Yorkers Will Receive Their Inflation Refund Check With No Need To Apply, Sign Up or Provide Personal Information
Governor Kathy Hochul today warned New Yorkers of scammers who are sending text messages, voice messages, emails and direct mail to taxpayers in an attempt to spread false information about New York State’s inflation refund checks. These messages falsely claim that New Yorkers must submit accurate payment information in order to receive an inflation refund check, supposedly so revenue agencies can deposit money into a taxpayer’s bank account. The New York State Tax Department and the IRS will not call or text New Yorkers with requests for any personal information. View an example of this text message, so you know what to look out for.
“New Yorkers do not have to do anything to receive an inflation refund check outside of meeting the eligibility requirements,” Governor Hochul said. “With scams targeting the state’s inflation refund initiative, let me be clear: The Tax Department and the IRS do not call or text individuals for personal information. My administration urges New Yorkers to remain vigilant and report these scams to the Tax Department to protect yourself from being a victim.”
If you receive one of these messages appearing to be from the Tax Department, block the sender, delete the message, and reportthis scam to the Tax Department or IRS. The Tax Department does not use text messages, email, direct mail or social media to request your personal tax information.
By staying alert and knowing what to watch out for, you can reduce your risk of becoming a target of common tax scams.
For more taxpayer scam information, visit the Division of Consumer Protection’s Taxpayer Scam webpage. For additional identity theft prevention and mitigation resources, call the Consumer Helpline at 800-697-1220 or visit the Division’s Identity Theft Prevention and Mitigation Program webpage.
ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul said New York will award $30 million to 19 projects aimed at curbing flooding and strengthening coastal defenses, tapping the 2022 Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act during Climate Week. The grants back Department of State programs focused on coastal rehabilitation and inland flooding, funding streambank stabilization on the Wallkill and Genesee rivers, wetland and salt marsh restorations on Long Island, stormwater upgrades in Freeport and Waterloo, and dam removals and culvert replacements from Cazenovia to Boonville. Officials say the work is intended to protect infrastructure, improve water quality and help communities adapt to extreme weather and sea-level rise. The Bond Act totals $4.2 billion for climate, conservation and water projects statewide, with agencies prioritizing resilience and benefits for disadvantaged communities.
Governor Hochul Announces $30 Million Bond Act Funding Awards for 19 Projects Statewide as Part of Climate Week
Grants Awarded to Projects that Will Enhance Climate Resilience Across New York State. Programs Reduce Inland Flooding and Make Coastal Areas More Resilient to Extreme Weather and Flooding
In recognition of Climate Week NYC, Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $30 million in funding awards from the 2022 Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act (Bond Act) for 19 projects designed to enhance community resilience to extreme weather events and flooding across New York State. The projects represent the Governor’s proactive approach to addressing the effects of extreme weather driven by climate change.
“New York is continuing to make historic investments to protect our communities from the growing risks of inland and coastal flooding,” Governor Hochul said. “These projects will strengthen local infrastructure, restore natural protections and make neighborhoods more resilient in the face of climate change. By advancing these projects now, we are not only safeguarding lives and property, but also demonstrating New York’s leadership in building a safer, stronger and more sustainable future.”
The Bond Act of 2022 supports projects and initiatives in four categories: restoration and flood risk reduction; open space land conservation and recreation; climate change mitigation; and water quality improvement and resilient infrastructure. The funds are being used by New York State Agencies and Authorities to implement projects that protect water quality, reduce pollution, protect natural resources, help communities adapt to climate change, improve resiliency and create green jobs.
The New York Department of State (DOS) administers two programs through the Bond Act — the Coastal Rehabilitation and Resiliency Projects Program and the Inland Flooding and Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. The Coastal Rehabilitation and Resiliency Projects Program supports the implementation of projects that increase resilience with an emphasis on natural processes that provide environmental, economic, and social benefits. The Inland Flooding and Local Waterfront Revitalization Program supports implementation projects that improve waterfront and watershed resiliency and reduce climate impacts, particularly flooding.
Project awards for the Coastal Rehabilitation and Resiliency Projects Program include:
Wallkill River Streambank Stabilization at Celery Avenue, Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District: $450,000
Genesee River Flood Resiliency, City of Rochester: $2,250,000
Nyack Waterfront Restoration and Resiliency Improvements, Village of Nyack:$590,580
Big Rock Wetland Restoration Project, Save the Sound, Inc.: $2,047,057
Duck Pond Dam Removal and Kleine Kill Restoration, Mohonk Preserve, Inc.:$1,100,000
West Canada Creek Floodplain Restoration and Strategic Relocation Project, Town of Herkimer: $1,278,256
Mariners Harbor Pump Station Replacement and Relocation, City of Kingston: $665,865
Summit Street Culvert Replacement, Village of Boonville: $344,250
Eastern Storm Sewer System Improvement Project, Village of Waterloo: $1,930,779
Saltmarsh Restoration at Sheepen Peninsula, Town of Brookhaven: $1,615,009
Stormwater System Upgrades, Village of Freeport: $3,555,000
Salt Marsh Restoration at Cupsogue Beach, Suffolk County: $4,173,204
Project awards for the Inland Flooding and Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) Implementation Projects Program include:
Turtle Cove Tidal Wetland Resiliency and Restoration, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation: $3,190,979
Mill Street Dam Removal and Chittenango Creek Restoration, Village of Cazenovia: $1,359,900
Sucker Brook Flood Resiliency Implementation, City of Canandaigua: $2,650,600
MacDonough Park Flood Resiliency Improvements, City of Plattsburgh: $1,181,812
Mill Creek Streambank Stabilization, Lewis County: $304,126
Schroon River Access Site Resiliency Improvements, Warren County: $535,401
Kingston Point Beach Sea-Level Rise Mitigation Project, City of Kingston: $982,733
New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said, “Communities across the state are already experiencing the impacts of severe weather and sea level rise. The projects we are funding through these programs will deliver the resources local governments need to strengthen critical infrastructure, protect shorelines and restore natural systems that help keep people safe.”
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Whether it’s preventing inland flooding or rehabilitating coastal areas, Governor Hochul is ensuring that we are doing our part to make all New Yorkers safer from the effects of severe weather events. This $30 million investment from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act builds on the significant resources committed across the state which will save exponentially more in recovery from future storms, while getting put to work, and helping communities get the resources they need to plan and prepare.”
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Governor Hochul’s climate leadership is delivering strategic and proactive solutions for helping our communities keep their residents and businesses safe from the most damaging effects of extreme weather events. The infrastructure investments announced today will benefit generations of New Yorkers by strengthening resiliency systems, allowing these regions to adapt to and recover more readily and cost-effectively from the impacts of future flooding.”
State Senator Pete Harckham said, “Climate change is already costing our communities more than $2 billion a year, and those costs will only grow if we fail to strengthen the resilience of our infrastructure. This is exactly the kind of investment the Bond Act was created for: protecting our residents and creating good-paying jobs locally. I’m grateful to Governor Hochul and my colleagues in the Legislature for prioritizing this critical issue and for ending Climate Week with a statement of action.”
Assemblymember Deborah Glick said, “I thank Governor Hochul for her foresight and commitment to keeping New Yorkers safe while advancing our climate goals. Climate change demands that we act decisively and proactively, and by directing Bond Act dollars toward resilience projects, the Governor is working hard to protect lives and livelihoods. It is vital that we prepare our state for the challenges of hotter and more extreme weather patterns.”
New York State’s Climate Agenda
New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.
About New York’s Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act
On November 8, 2022, New Yorkers overwhelmingly approved the $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act. State agencies, local governments, and partners will be able to access funding to protect water quality, help communities adapt to climate change, improve resiliency, and create green jobs. Bond Act funding will support new and expanded projects across the state to safeguard drinking water sources, reduce pollution, and protect communities and natural resources from climate change. Since the Bond Act passed, an interagency working group comprised of multiple state agencies has been implementing a transparent and collaborative process to identify needs for environmental funding across the State to help develop program logistics. Learn more about the Environmental Bond Act here.
Governor Kathy Hochul has confirmed that MTA Metro-North Railroad will launch its new super-express service on the Hudson Line ahead of schedule, beginning October 6, 2025. Originally slated for 2026, the accelerated implementation will reduce travel times between Poughkeepsie and Grand Central Terminal to 90 minutes, and to under 75 minutes from Beacon—delivering a significant efficiency boost for Hudson Valley commuters. Supported by $26 million in capital investments, the initiative includes infrastructure upgrades, advanced train control systems, and new diesel-electric locomotives. The service enhancement aligns with the Governor’s broader transportation strategy to improve reliability, reduce congestion, and increase public transit adoption statewide.
New York. Governor Hochul Announces MTA Metro-North Railroad ‘Super-Express’ Trips Between Poughkeepsie and New York City to Launch Ahead of Schedule on Oct. 6
Governor Hochul: “These super-express trains will take you from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central in 90 minutes, and from Beacon to Grand Central in less than one hour and 15 minutes… When there is a need and when our commuters need something — they ask for improvement, enhancements, more reliability, faster speeds — we are committed to getting it done. That is my undying commitment to what is known as the lifeblood of this region.”
Hochul: “Golf’s biggest event is just about to tee off at Bethpage… It’s revered around the world for the accommodations and what we offer people, and we’re expecting another 20,000 people to literally be taking the train out to Farmingdale, which is going to put a strain on the system as they watch the U.S. take on the golf teams from Europe during the Ryder Cup. I want to make sure they all have a good experience — our locals and our visitors. And so today through Friday, we’re running eight more eastbound trains every day. And on Saturday, we’ll be adding nine more trains.”
Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the launch of faster super-express trains on the Hudson Line between Poughkeepsie and New York City with the upcoming MTA Metro-North Railroad schedule effective Sunday, Oct. 5. The first super-express trains will run on Monday, Oct. 6. These new trips were announced in the Governor’s 2025 State of the State address and will cut travel times between Poughkeepsie and Grand Central Terminal to less than 90 minutes each way. Initially projected to launch in 2026, work was completed ahead of schedule, allowing for faster service to begin in October.
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:
First, I want to acknowledge some of the individuals you’ll be hearing from momentarily. Justin Vonashek, our President of Metro-North Rail — we’re going to have some announcements about Metro-North. Robert Free, the President of the Long Island Rail Road. I want to thank both of them for their tireless advocacy on behalf of not just the railroads, but, more importantly, our commuters. We also are joined by Mayor Kyriacou, the City of Beacon Mayor — he’s got some important announcements to make as well. And Anthony Simon, the union representing SMART, the thousands of Long Island Rail Road employees.
So let’s talk about Metro-North. Metro-North is more than just a train route. It is an incredible gateway between two worlds — and one is between the bustling streets of this great city, but also the charming hamlets up along the beautiful Hudson River. So you can have your morning run along the Hudson Line and then also end up at lunch time walking the streets of Manhattan and back home in a place like Beacon for dinner. So that’s the beauty of this connectivity, this extraordinary rail line, as well as its connectivity to other lines as well.
But — what I know as a New Yorker and as a mom — there’s nothing more precious in our lives than time. You know, how we get time back in our lives. And in my State of the State address, I address specifically the people who live along these rail lines, and said, “I want to give you some time back in your lives, and let’s be bold and ambitious about how we do that.” So we secured over $26 million in our State Budget for critical rail improvements along the Hudson Line.
First of all, we outfitted trains with state-of-the-art GPS and train simulation software. We also had to make significant investments in our signaling infrastructure to boost the train speeds — that was important — and adding brand new diesel-electric locomotives that are also faster and greener. And this was all supposed to happen in 2026. I said, “No. It’s going to happen in 2025.” Well, it’s 2025 and we are literally two weeks away from the start. We accelerated our timeline. We got the work done ahead of schedule. So two weeks from now, we’re going to have the super-express service along the Hudson Line begin.
So, listen to this: Starting October 6, these super-express trains will take you from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central in 90 minutes, and from Beacon to Grand Central in less than one hour and 15 minutes. How does that sound, Mayor? Pretty good for your residents of Beacon? For our daily commuters, we’re saving 14 minutes off your trip, 70 minutes a week. It’s a game changer for people. And so, if you really want to add it up, I did — four and a half hours extra a month back in your lives, and we’re just getting started.
But this is what I really love and cherish about infrastructure and transit. It’s not just about — as I said — the rails, and the bridges, the stations, it’s about connecting people in their lives and getting them home in time for their kids’ sporting event, or to help with the homework or to just kiss the little ones goodnight before they go to bed.
And this is part of fulfilling a promise I made when we finally launched congestion pricing. We said, “If we want more people to take our trains, we have to make it faster and more efficient for them to make that decision.” And so, we want to make it easier to get into Manhattan without a car, so this is part of that. If you give them reliable alternatives, this is the idea that they will embrace. And we’ve seen that incredibly, if you look at all the data associated with congestion pricing and how train ridership is up, traffic is down in the city. And so, all the results that we had hoped for are actually happening. So people told us they’d like to take the train, but they want it faster, they want it more efficient, and we delivered on that.
So these super-express trains are the latest in a long line of mass transit wins. As you know, we figured out a path, although it seemed insurmountable about a year ago, that we could fully fund the MTA capital plan — $68.4 billion. And we advanced long-stalled generational projects like the Second Avenue Subway and the Interborough Express. Again, those are my favorite ones — the ones that say “long-stalled.” Nobody could get it done. Not enough ambition or interest. And I say, “Bring those ones to me.”
And we also finished up our beautiful upgrades to Grand Central Madison in the Long Island Third Track. So we’ve proven over and over we can get it done. And these investments, not just in the systems, but also in our “Cops, Cameras, and Care” initiative we launched a couple of years ago.
Again, you’ve heard me say this, but it’s still holding. We just came off the safest summer in 10 years, the safest two month period — July and August — in recorded history. The crime rates are down. And just last week alone — last week compared to the same week a year ago — crime was down 66 percent. So, we’re making progress. I’ll say it for the 100th time: We are not declaring mission accomplished or victorious efforts here. We’re not done. But, those are numbers that cannot be challenged and they’re extraordinary, particularly considering the trajectory that we were once on.
But before we go, I have one more transit-related announcement about our sports fans, particularly our golf aficionados. Golf’s biggest event is just about to tee off at Bethpage. I was just out there last week. It’s an extraordinary, extraordinary part of our State Park system. It’s revered around the world for the accommodations and what we offer people, and we’re expecting another 20,000 people to literally be taking the train out to Farmingdale, which is going to put a strain on the system as they watch the U.S. take on the golf teams from Europe during the Ryder Cup.
So, I want to make sure they all have a good experience — our locals and our visitors. And so today through Friday, we’re running eight more eastbound trains every day. And on Saturday, we’ll be adding nine more trains. So make sure that our golf fans can get out to Bethpage without any difficulty.
So let me just say this: Today’s announcements in the scheme of all the complicating factors that are going on in the world may not seem significant to those who are not riders. But if you’re a rider, and you’ve been waiting for this, talking about it and it just never got done; people have been saying we can go faster someday, somehow — my friends, we got it done. It’s a commitment of all of our friends at the MTA, the Metro-North as well as the Long Island Rail Road.
When there is a need and when our commuters need something — they ask for improvement, enhancements, more reliability, faster speeds — we are committed to getting it done. That is my undying commitment to what is known as the lifeblood of this region. We do not function at all as the city we are without it, the region we are. And so I just want to say that we listen to the riders, and again, those are the most important voices out there in this entire system.
I know they’re going to be excited to start living the experience of having more time back in their lives. So let me talk about someone who’s very involved in this. Our next speaker, Metro-North President Justin Vonashek. And I want to thank him for finding the path to shave off a tremendous amount of time that would otherwise not have been happening until next year — we’re getting it done in 2025.
In a detailed address, Governor Kathy Hochul laid out her strategy to bolster Albany and New York State’s economic outlook by tackling unemployment insurance debt and prioritizing workforce housing expansion. Emphasizing a pro-business stance, Hochul highlighted efforts to streamline regulations and invest in critical infrastructure, including clean energy projects like nuclear power. The governor also underscored initiatives to address labor shortages via expanded community college programs and spotlighted New York’s emergence as a tech hub with the Empire AI supercomputer investment. Hochul’s plan aims to drive job growth, enhance affordability, and position Albany as a competitive market for innovation and business development.
Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks at Business Council of New York’s Annual Meeting
Governor Hochul: “I kept building and building the reserves to get us to about an excess of 15 percent. And in so doing it gave me a chance to use that to do a one-time infusion of money to pay off the unemployment insurance debt that was born on the backs of our employers. And when I looked at some of the bills that they were paying based on the number of employees and how much it was adding up, whether you’re a small business or large, I said, ‘If there’s one pro-business thing I can do, that’ll have a massive impact across the state, it is eliminating this.’”
Hochul: “We need to build more housing for our workforce. And that’ll be a great lift for employers in Central New York. I just looked at some modular homes there that we’re looking to expand. They look like gorgeous homes by the way, you cannot tell the difference because I have 50,000 jobs coming to Central New York with Micron. So, all across the state, the demand is only growing.”
Earlier today, Governor Hochul delivered remarks at the Business Council of New York’s Annual Meeting.
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:
Good morning everyone. Good morning. First of all, go Bills — I’m back Upstate. I can say that.
First of all, to Heather, leadership truly matters in all operations entities, government, certainly, but an organization like this where you have such credibility with your partners in government, it really makes a difference when you come to us. It’s reasonable, it’s well thought out. It is researched and I’m always proud we can find a pass together. And you were a very loud proponent and champion for the state to do something rather unprecedented, which is to dive into our reserves.
When I first became Governor, our reserves were about four percent. I had worked on 14 local government budgets and I knew that my Budget Director in the town of Hamburg always said we need to be about 15 percent. So, I kept building and building the reserves to get us to about an excess of 15 percent. And in so doing it gave me a chance to use that to do a one-time infusion of money to pay off the unemployment insurance debt that was born on the backs of our employers. And when I looked at some of the bills that they were paying based on the number of employees and how much it was adding up, whether you’re a small business or large, I said, “If there’s one pro-business thing I can do, that’ll have a massive impact across the state, it is eliminating this.” But Heather, I want to thank you and congratulate you on working so hard to get that over the finish line.
I know we have some representatives from the REDC. Marsha Gordon is here, the Co-Chair of the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council, and, of course, head of the Business Council of Westchester. And I know we have a number of elected officials in the room — John McDonald, Gary Warner, and Assemblymember Rivera — is still, or did you leave? You leave on me? Okay. Go Bills, there you go.
But I also know that you’ve been a little busy with the report. My team made sure I dissected it and read your analysis because I’m always looking for input from all perspectives and certainly the business perspective on what businesses like in New York is the most important to me to hear and to learn from. And I will say it talks about our strengths and it certainly points out the weaknesses, which I am very cognizant of.
You know my own family story, talk about how my dad worked at the steel plant, and struggled. I lived in Lackawanna, but eventually I talked about how he got a college degree. And over years having that credential allowed him to do something quite extraordinary when a few young guys talked to him about joining a company that was only a year old back in 1968. It was something known as a computer services company. How rare was that in Buffalo in 1968. So, my dad took the plunge at age 30 with five of his six little kids. And people at Bethlehem Steel thought he was crazy — that certainly they would go out of business and they did struggle. We had a lot of lean years, but eventually grew into a powerhouse of computer task group. And I know there’s many clients in this room. Because as a little kid, I used to go on the client calls. I went and visited Corning and Eastman Kodak and went around the state trying to just get business for him. So, you need to know in my heart there’s a very pro-business understanding and appreciation for the risks that’s involved and how the winds of change affect you, whether it’s out of Washington or tariffs and statewide policies.
And so, I’m very cognizant of that when I look at bills that people are encouraging me to pass. I also say, what is the impact on whomever, but always business as well when I think it’s going to have a — what is the impact? Are they involved? Do they have an alternative? Is there something else we can do to get to a position that is going to help our business and not hurt them. So, my philosophy has always been not just from my experience with my own failings, but also my siblings became serial entrepreneurs. They started businesses after businesses, and I was involved in serving as legal counsel to some of them. And so, I know what the regulations are, like I know what the stress is — like I know how to complain about the government, like every business does. But also now that I’m in government in a meaningful way, My job is to also make your jobs easier. You deserve to have a government that’s on your side, not on your back. And that’s what I’m going to continue fostering for the next many years in government.
So, you’ve heard some of the economic impact from Blake, I presume. He’s my Budget Director because he tells me how the winds are going and sometimes even though he looks like he’s perpetually happy and optimistic, I could see the clouds a little bit. And we certainly felt a lot of clouds and saw clouds across his face and indeed our state after July 4th when the dubbed Big Beautiful Bill that I can only call, the Big Ugly Bill was passed because Blake knew that was going to be a huge financial hit on us — what Washington did, and healthcare being in the line of fire number one.
It is a $13.5 billion hit to healthcare systems with the loss of Medicaid subsidies. The State of New York lost $7.5 billion in subsidies like that. We have to make up $3 billion next year, even just this year, midyear — figure out how to come up with the loss of $750 million. So, we have been working intensely on how to do this with minimal pain to people who’ve come to rely on these services.
We’ve had more than our share coming our way unanticipated out of Washington and that takes up a lot of my staff’s time and effort. But, we’ll figure it out. We’ll figure it out. But also, I’ve charged my staff with finding ways to streamline government. You need to know that’s important to me. We don’t need excessive government. We don’t need excessive programs.
You saw how I took on the CDPAP program. That was a program that was built to provide people to be able to select their own home care provider if they had health problems or debilitating situations — makes all the sense in the world until it’s abused. And we had ended up with 700 providers, these financial intermediaries in between the patient and the provider; whereas a state like California with double our population somehow managed to do it all with one financial intermediary. And as a result of this excess and explosive growth in this middleman position, we went from a $1.5 billion program to an $11.5 billion program with the same size population basically except there ended up being so much abuse and we’ve had many cases brought where the fraud and the waste and abuse. People charging the State of New York for reimbursement when they actually live in Florida or saying that they’re helping their grandmother and working 24 hours a day living in her house and charging the state. It was an abuse and I was warned there’s going to be a lot of pushback if you try to change that, but I cannot knowingly be the Governor of the State and know that there’s programs like that are so wildly expensive. When you look at what the drivers of our Budget, by far it is the Medicaid costs and the healthcare costs and education, and those are set.
Last year, we started our budgeting Medicaid — went up 12 percent before we even opened up the books, we want to get it right, we want to make sure we take care of people, but make sure that anytime we’re aware of abuse, we are going to fight it and fight hard because you are ultimately the ones paying for that.
So, I’m trying to look at programs like that and others where we can have substantial savings. This first year, you’re saving $500 million from what we did by streamlining that and getting it down to one provider despite massive opposition to those changes. And so I’m looking for more ideas like that, and I’m sure many of you out there see them. I’m on the verge of hiring a top-notch professional to oversee an office that’s going to look at regulatory opportunities. I think, is Bob Duffy here? Bob Duffy, something. If you’re standing here, I can’t — oh, Bob, great to see you again. And I always harken back to the work that you did as Lieutenant Governor and making a real difference in trying to uncover this. But I want to make sure that I get it over the finish line. That’s not just identifying areas where we can streamline regulations, but also get it done.
And I just use one example: the seeker process. You heard me talk about this the first year. I said, we need to build more housing in this state. I have to have more housing, whether I’m in the North Country and we have a lot of hospitality businesses, the hotels, the restaurants, people are driving an hour and a half to go to their jobs because they can’t afford housing anywhere near these communities. Long Island — same thing out at the East End or other parts. I was just out there meeting supervisors out there. They’re starting to finally see that. I’ve been talking about this for years and I’m right. We need to build more housing for our workforce. And that’ll be a great lift for employers in Central New York. I just looked at some modular homes there that we’re looking to expand. They look like gorgeous homes by the way, you cannot tell the difference because I have 50,000 jobs coming to Central New York with Micron. So, all across the state, the demand is only growing. But there’s barriers and I’ve tried to take this on and we want to, right now in the process of streamlining our seeker rules, the environmental review process, which I know from my local government days was always the way you could say no to somebody, right? I know how to say yes, I know how to say no. I had 14 years of going over local applications for business development and housing projects. So, I know exactly what it’s all about. And so, I just want to make it easier. Let’s build more housing, get rid of some of those rules, or at least streamline them and make them common sense.
So, I put out the offer here today. Help us identify areas, and I’ll never compromise the health and safety of New Yorkers. So if you’ve got something that removes the restriction that does that, don’t waste my time. But if you have something, it’s time has passed, it’s obsolete, it’s duplicative, it’s redundant — bring it to us so we can actually have a thoughtful conversation about this. And I’m trying to expand not just housing, but I also have to expand our energy capabilities intensely. You wouldn’t believe the interest in our state now that we successfully landed Micron, and what an accomplishment that was — “People are still talking about how you landed Micron.”
I said, “it’s a secret, I don’t want other states to know.”
But a lot of it was personal engagement and showcasing how extraordinary New York is and what a great place it is. You’ll find an incredibly dedicated, hardworking workforce for you. But also the university system we have, the feeder system, our community colleges — all this plays into creating an environment that is hospitable for business. But then, if they don’t have the energy to power what they’re doing, then they have to go somewhere else. So I’ve taken that on as a personal challenge to me, because I want to get this right and give us all the advantages when it comes to recruiting businesses and helping our businesses here expand.
So, I look at nuclear. Now, you don’t hear that out of the mouths of a lot of Democratic Governors, but you should. It’s a renewable source. It’s clean energy. And I look at what happened when a project was shut down Downstate, Indian Point was shut down a few years ago, I’m the one who inherited that and the decommissioning. We lost 25 percent of the power that was going to New York City without a Plan B. So now, we have more trucks, diesel trucks, transporting liquefied natural gas and home heating oil over the roads. And guess what? Guess how emissions have gone up Downstate because of that one move. So I’m looking at the possibilities, opportunities for nuclear.
Back in June, I had a major press conference putting NYPA in charge of finding a place to do this and getting it going. And we already have four nuclear reactors, three sites in Upstate New York. And after I announced it, you would not believe the number of communities that came knocking on my door, “Can we have it in our community?” I won’t send it Downstate because that’s fine with me, I don’t need a battle, but Upstate wants this because they want to power the industries that are coming, whether it’s Edwards Vacuum, another supply chain element that we were able to recruit with 600 jobs after the Micron announcement. There’s so many great things happening.
I was just up here. Last week, Micro Bird, we were about to lose Nova Bus, big employer up near Plattsburgh. And we were able to find a company from Quebec that is now — despite them being real unhappy with our country. And I had to do a little smoothing over there that New York really loves Canada, “We’re not going to try and take you over. So you’re safe and we’ll forgive what you did in the war of 1812.” But I digress. Buffalo was burned to the ground. But I forget all that. But when we were able to land this opportunity to bring in a company from Quebec to take over that facility, not one employee missed a beat. They went from the fear of losing their jobs, 350 people, good-paying manufacturing jobs, about to lose them. And we structured a deal to say one day you’re working for Nova, the next day you’re working for Micro Bird and you miss nothing in between. And I was so proud to see we were able to accomplish it.
That’s just one example of where I get very involved, but also know that I can do more to promote businesses Upstate and Downstate as well.
But if I can get the power, if I can get nuclear going, if I can reduce some of the regulations associated with that — and I’ve had conversations with Washington about this. I told the President I need to have more of an all of the above approach to our energy solutions. I need you to leave offshore wind alone, because Empire Wind would power — it’s 1,500 jobs — half a million homes in Brooklyn powered by clean offshore wind energy. Next year we’re expecting it, then it was shut down like that. So we’ve had to have some conversations. The President knows I’m all in for nuclear. We’re working closely on that to reduce some of their regulatory timeframe as well.
So, once we get this underway, focus on hydro and all of our other opportunities, my friends. There’s no holding us back, because we have a world-class, educated workforce. We’re going to continue this. You saw what we did with community colleges in response to employers saying that they need more employees that would have skills, we identified some industry sectors where there were shortages of workers. You know this one, it’s health care. We have a huge shortage of health care workers. But also advanced manufacturing, the trades, clean energy as well as semiconductor manufacturing. So we are providing free community college education to any adult age 25 to 55 who will go back to school and maybe never entertained those fields and never could do it because of the cost. We’re covering the cost of their community college education where they can now step into a four year institution. Just by announcing this months ago, we have 16,000 students who are now going to community college. And they’re learning skills that are going to be beneficial to all of you as employers. That’s how we create the synergy we need between our workforce and our institutions as well as your workplace.
I’m working on housing, working on energy, working on workforce development, more recruiting, infrastructure projects — I love building things. We’re just going gangbusters; creating tens of thousands of jobs for anybody from Downstate, New York City.
I look at something like the bus station, the Midtown Bus Terminal. Have you ever been in there? Stay away. It’s scary. But it’s going to be gorgeous. It’s a $10 billion project, 6,000 jobs. But these are the kind of projects that — and Penn Station, people go by them year after year and just assume it always has to be that way, it always has to look like that. I believe in the preeminence of New York State and how we must showcase ourselves in a proud way where our infrastructure, our airports and our transportation hubs really gleam and look welcoming and magnificent and should be talked about.
And so, I’m on the cusp of more announcements along those lines, but every one of the projects — the Gateway Tunnel, that was locked up for years because governors couldn’t get along and the President wouldn’t get along and there’s all this, forget that, we have 10,000 jobs right there alone. So I’m all about creating jobs and opportunities and affordability as well.
You’ve told me to talk about affordability, number one issue, in addition to public safety. And I just hosted a law enforcement reception at the Governor’s residence this morning — that’s where I came from — honoring police officers and people in law enforcement, public safety all around the state, letting them know we believe in them. I have their backs because they have ours. We’ll always overfund them or fund them dramatically, $3 billion we’ve put into law enforcement.
And my friends, share this statistic. The numbers of crimes are declining extraordinarily. Going down dramatically. I’ll just put it that way, going down dramatically. And we are at lows. Whether it was the lowest crimes on the subway, July and August, in recorded history, some of the lowest murder rates in history, now we’re starting to record them. I’ve been all over Upstate helping with law enforcement grants to help our local governments. And it’s making a real difference.
We never rest on our laurels. We’re not done. More to do. But I’m telling you, compared to when I was first elected Governor, the numbers are staggering, heading in the right direction. I’m really proud of that. That’s foundational. No matter where your workplace is, your employees need to feel safe getting there. So we’re taking care of that. We focus on that.
As I mentioned, we have to get them housing. We have to get them reliable infrastructure to get to their housing. We have to make sure that we’re making these investments. But in the long term, I just, at a high level, want to make sure that all of you are proud to be in New York. And I’m here to say thank you. I know some of you’re even being recruited to other states. Say no, okay? Just say no. Remember that slogan from First Lady Reagan? Say no. Stay here. We’ve got a Governor who’s going to look out for us and make sure that we thrive. And that is my commitment to you because when you’re doing well, when you’re hiring, when you’re expanding that is a very good trajectory for New York.
And again, even our growth numbers in jobs, we have added 800,000 new jobs — private sector jobs. Everyone says, “Oh, you’re hiring in government jobs,” — private sector jobs since I became Governor. And our rate of growth is achieving the numbers where I’m satisfied, but not quite there yet.
I could go over a whole list of other projects. They’re exciting, and I’m proud of them, but know that I’m going to keep standing with you year after year and telling you that we are not done yet. We’re going to make sure that not only are you proud to be here, because I’m proud to have you here, that the rest of the country sees this and they’re really starting to.
I’ll close with one more thought because I find this one of the most exciting. What we have done in putting New York on the map as a tech hub, the word is out. I was at the Economic Club speaking yesterday. And it’s not just Micron. Not just Micron. But it is what we’re doing with artificial intelligence. Now, there’s a lot of fear associated with this, and it is a disruptive technology, but it is here and we can either embrace it or condemn it. And I say we embrace it because whoever harnesses the power of AI today will own the next generations of power. And I want that to happen here. And it is happening here.
I launched Empire AI. People were like, “What are you talking about?” And I want to thank the legislators for having the faith, when this first came to you for support, that we could invest State dollars leveraged with private sector dollars, leveraged with powering our universities all together and create the nation’s largest supercomputer dedicated to public good and research. Largest in the nation outside a private company. Guess what? It’s no longer a dream. It’s a $500 million investment and is already at the University at Buffalo. And I didn’t just do that as a hometown call. The power up there is plentiful with the hydroelectric power and I had plenty of space. But it is not just for Buffalo, it is for the entire state. And that’s the beauty of this.
And we have more people, more Ph.D. candidates, more faculty — I was out there last weekend — faculty members who came from California because they heard about this because they will have, at their fingertips, power that is not available anywhere else in the nation. And what are they doing with this? They’re solving society’s problems and health challenges and doing research and devising new therapies. Work that would’ve taken months and months to do, they can do in hours. And you know what? As great as that sounds we’re just about to launch, that was Alpha-Beta, 11 times faster than that.
So, that leads me to say that this is putting us on the map. In California, my friends in Silicon Valley are saying they wish their Governor had done this because we are the first in the nation to pay attention. And literally yesterday, I had a company that talked to me about a $50 billion AI investment in Upstate New York. So stay tuned.
But this is the scale that I’m talking about. And that may not be your industry, but it may power some facet of your industry someday. And you’re going to want that. And this is going to give you the competitive edge against everybody else. And that’s my job as Governor, to make sure that we have all the advantages. We know what we have. We know how great we are. But when we’re competing with the rest of the world in other states, we have to have tangible attractions to bring them here. And that’s exactly what I’m focused on.
So, thank you very much for listening. Thank you for believing in New York State. And again, very proud of your Governor. Thank you, everybody.
Governor Hochul Outlines Vision for Affordable, Vibrant New York at Economic Club
Governor Kathy Hochul, speaking at the Economic Club of New York, emphasized her commitment to making New York a top destination for families and businesses by tackling affordability challenges. Highlighting housing as the primary cost barrier, she discussed her push for increased housing development to lower rent and mortgage burdens, ensuring hardworking New Yorkers can achieve homeownership. Hochul also underscored her $2.2 billion investment in childcare, expanding subsidies to support 500,000 more children, and stressed its role as an economic driver for workforce participation. Additionally, she addressed New York’s competitive edge, citing its diverse tech workforce, vibrant culture, and world-class universities, while expressing concerns about federal policies impacting foreign-born talent. Her vision includes fostering a pro-business environment, enhancing public safety, and advancing infrastructure projects like the Second Avenue Subway and Interborough Express to keep New York thriving.
Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Joins the Economic Club of New York in Fireside Chat
Governor Hochul: “I want this to be the place that families want to come to. And I know the barriers. That’s why I’ve been leaning so hard into building more housing. The number one cost is your rent, and if you’re lucky enough to have a house, your mortgage. And it’s something that was always within reach for people who worked hard, my entire life. People are working hard today and are not able to reach that.”
Hochul: “I already called for universal child care in my last Budget, so that’s why I have $2.2 billion being spent now. But there is absolutely a path to do this. And you have great ideas, we’re looking at your plans on the fact that you can’t do it all in one year, but you have to give people hope.”
Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul joined the Economic Club of New York in a fireside chat.
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:
Reshma Saujani: Wonderful to be here with you, Governor. We have lots of conversations we’re going to have today about AI, about affordability, and how we keep New York vibrant and safe. So let’s dive in.
Governor, you’ve said that your priority is making New York a place that people want to move to and live. What do you see as the biggest driver of New York’s competitiveness?
Governor Hochul: It is truly the energy that we exude as New Yorkers. Outside of New York, they might call it a little bit of arrogance, but there’s that certain mojo we have, that can-do spirit that has defined us since the inception of this club 118 years ago. And so, I think that particularly after the pandemic, when you think about the young people that are coming here — this has become the number one tech jobs destination in our nation — the whole experience of being out in Silicon Valley and working in these suburban office parks that have miniature golf and big slides, I’ve been to them, but there was this remoteness. And I think after the pandemic, people lost that human connection. If they’re going to come to work, they want to be with other people, have those creative collisions with the barista. And so that’s what we offer here.
Also, the diversity. Our tech companies, especially from the West Coast where much of it began, are realizing that they’re creating platforms and solutions via technology and AI that have been very much slanted toward one perspective, which is that of the people who happen to work there, which is very homogeneous, I’ll politely say. They come to New York, they have more women in technology, something that you have focused on at Girls Who Code, which is an extraordinary program. I’ve been to so many classes and graduations around the state promoting it. But also, our ethnic diversity and people from around the world come here, so that’s something that sets us apart; the fact that 47 percent of new tech jobs and companies are being started by people who are foreign born. They’re gravitating to our city because they know it’s a welcoming place. I think at the high level, that is what sets us apart and continues to be part of our competitive strength as well as leveraging the superpower we have of our outstanding universities. Our graduates are second to none.
Reshma Saujani: That’s right. There was a moment in time where Florida was trying to take all our people, but now people are coming back.
Governor Hochul: Oh, they’re coming back.
Reshma Saujani: They’re coming back in droves.
Governor Hochul: They’re so over Palm Beach. Maybe not everybody in this room, okay, I’ll grant you better weather, but let’s get serious. Our arts, our culture, it’s like the vibe here. If you’ve been to Broadway lately or walked the streets — I walked two miles again this morning. I walk the streets of the city every single day when I’m here and I can feel it. And I think a lot of other cities and states have lagged behind in this post pandemic world, but we are that destination.
And I am concerned about policies out of Washington that are making it more difficult for foreign born students to be coming here. This has always been our strength because they come here, they’re educated and they stay and they build companies, they build wealth. So that’s a barrier that I think is something that doesn’t have to be, it’s self-inflicted and that’s going to hurt our whole nation. But we have to power through that.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah. And one of the big drivers of how people decide or where people decide to live is affordability. Affordability is a huge component of competitiveness. Housing and safety matter as well. Child care is also a big driver of cost. How do you think about affordability holistically? Because I really do believe that you are the affordability-governor in the country.
Governor Hochul: How I think about it? I think about it nonstop, number one. I truly do. And this is not a new incarnation of a position for me, I’ve been talking about this for my entire life because I started out very humbly. My parents used to live in a trailer park and I was born in a little tiny place near the steel plant where my dad worked — at the factory, my grandparents, my grandpa worked there, my uncles worked there, and then we eventually were able to emerge out of that into a much more successful life because my dad was able to get a college degree and that took us out. But we struggled in the early years.
And so, I think just because of my life’s experience, even starting out as a new mom in Washington when I couldn’t find child care and had to leave a job. I was counsel to Senator Moynihan, and I loved that job, but I couldn’t find child care. My husband was working at a not-great-paying government job at the time. And so, those early struggles haven’t changed much for young people today.
And I want this to be the place that families want to come to. And I know the barriers. That’s why I’ve been leaning so hard into building more housing. The number one cost is your rent, and if you’re lucky enough to have a house, your mortgage. And it’s something that was always within reach for people who worked hard, my entire life. People are working hard today and are not able to reach that, and part of it is that we did not have the ambition in this state that — I’m sorry to admit this — was demonstrated by our neighbors, New Jersey and Connecticut, who built more housing. They broke through barriers and we’ve stagnated. So I’ve made that a real signature part of my work and we’re having tremendous success.
I spend time even on the far reaches of Long Island and convincing Republican supervisors like, “Come on, you don’t have the workforce. You don’t have a place for young couples to live in the neighborhood they grew up in. So let’s just start building.” I had a meeting with them yesterday.
So housing is number one. I’ve allocated a billion dollars for the “City of Yes” that Eric Adams launched and he needed that much money to get over the finish line. It was a late night call, “Governor, can you do a billion dollars?”
“It’s for housing? Yes.”
I don’t play games with this. If it’s good for the people of New York, I’ll do it. So housing, child care and I’m so proud of the work that you do with Moms First as well. Whatever you’re working on is really addressing society’s problems, and I appreciate that, Reshma.
But child care was a cost barrier. We already, in my Budget this year, we have $2.2 billion for child care. We changed the formula so 500,000 more children are eligible for subsidies. We have $110 million to build more facilities. But we have a long way to go. We’re not even close. But if I can tackle housing, more supply, drive down the cost, ultimately, build more, get the child care cost down. And also utility bills, I’m trying to go for a more robust, all the above approach. Obviously there’s very much criticism of some of my policies, but I don’t have a choice. I tried to go full on renewable. I had to save an offshore wind project that will now be because I saved it. The Trump administration literally shut it down in March and it’s going to generate power for half a million homes in Brooklyn next year to be powered by offshore wind. I could not let that go. I had to negotiate hard to get that back.
But that’s what I’m talking about, hydro and even nuclear. This is something that people don’t expect from a Democratic Governor, well, that’s a shame, because I want to power the economy that is waiting, knocking on our door. The innovation, the technology, artificial intelligence, quantum, but I have to have plentiful power to do it, as well as help drive down the cost for our consumers and local businesses. That’s my framing of what affordability looks like, is tackling all those areas, and we have strategies on each.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah. And I want to go deep in some of those areas in a second. I want to ask you a question that’s probably on a lot of people in this room’s minds. You recently endorsed Zohran Mamdani. What assurances can you offer to city’s business leaders who’ve expressed some concerns about his election?
Governor Hochul: Listen, I’ve heard the concerns many times. I think people are starting to understand that — it’s hard for New Yorkers to accept this, I’m sorry to say it, but New York City is still a subdivision of the State. So the State of New York, the Governor —
Reshma Saujani: Yeah, we don’t think that.
Governor Hochul: I know. Generally, there’s been this tension between governors and mayors, historically, and I swore I would never do that, and I’m not going to go there. I worked with Bill de Blasio. I worked very closely with Eric Adams. We’ve worked to drive down the crime rates, which we’ve been successful at. So, I’m a person who will exercise my power where I need to, behind the scenes or in front, but my goal is to just deepen relationships. And so an endorsement like that allows me to have a relationship with someone who I believe is going to be the next mayor, which I think is going to be important for me to be involved in the transition team and the talents who surround him, because whoever the voters want as their mayor, it’s my job to make it all work out. I will never root against this city. I also represent the 8.3 million people who call New York City home. They’re my constituents as well. So I think there’s a path for us to work collaboratively. He’s an assemblymember. He understands what a Governor can do. Mayors historically come to us, it’s literally called Tin Cup Day, the mayors from every city come and ask for money and support, and they want to have a relationship with the Governor as well that’s productive because they want to go home with their tin cup as full as it can be.
So, there’s policies that are troubling to the business community, I understand that. But let’s get to a place — and he, the candidate, has focused intensely on affordability. And that is not just a buzzword, it’s a call to find meaningful solutions that start changing people’s lives and their perspectives of their lives immediately. And I look forward to working with him on that. But this does give me — what I need to do is be able to be a voice of influence that I think is necessary.
So I just tell everybody, don’t worry, we’re going to be okay. This is New York. We truly are going to be fine. We’ll work it out. He’s brought an energy to politics which I think is important. I don’t dismiss that at all. And a voice and an optimism and I think that’s what our city needs.
I said, I’ve always been a happy warrior. I represented the most Republican district in New York in Congress, and it was tough. They said I was the happy warrior. I just powered through it, won people over, and I believe that Zohran Mamdani has that ability as well.
Reshma Saujani: Thank you. I want to talk about AI. I had an opportunity to have a conversation with you about five months ago about the $400 million Empire AI investment. And since then, you’ve expanded it to over $500 million, launched a supercomputer that’s 11 times more powerful.
Everybody in this room wants to dunk on California—
Governor Hochul: Oh yeah. This is easy to do.
Reshma Saujani: —when it comes to AI.
Governor Hochul: This is an easy one for me to do.
Reshma Saujani: Right, we want to be leading the way in terms of education, in terms of innovation. If you’re a startup entrepreneur, you want to come here and build your company. What are you seeing? What concrete results are you seeing since you’ve made that investment that’s going to make us believe that we’re—
Governor Hochul: And it’s only been, it was a short time ago—
Reshma Saujani: That’s right.
Governor Hochul: —when the idea was presented to me. Had breakfast with an individual who was very much forward thinking. And he said, “I have this idea. It’s finally got a 10 percent chance of happening, but I want to plant it with you.”
And he says, “What if we are able to harness money from the stage?” Millions, literally millions. “Money from the private sector,” millions, “and bring in the superpower of our universities, our primary universities around the state,” our research institutions, “and bring it all together and build the first-in-the-nation institute, or empire, or for artificial intelligence dedicated to public good and research?”
So, it’s already working. It’s up at the University of Buffalo. It wasn’t just a hometown call, I know what you’re thinking, but it’s also, I had plentiful power. It’s right near the hydroelectric plant we have at Niagara Falls, so I could power this. There was plenty of space. What it does is it harnesses artificial intelligence in a way that the researchers — as we talk about innovating new therapies for diseases, they’re light years ahead of where they would’ve been.
Reshma Saujani: Right.
Governor Hochul: Because of everything, the speed of it. Also trying to figure out ways we can support businesses and overcome this fear of AI because it is having an effect on jobs — we have to put that right out there — and figure out how we can solve that. But we launched it. My friends from Silicon Valley all said, “Oh, we wish our Governor had thought of this because we’re the first-in-the-nation.”
So, this is power that’s not available to any other institutions in the country. This is the largest supercomputer in the nation that’s not in a private company’s hands. And then we already did our Beta.
Reshma Saujani: Yep.
Governor Hochul: Already, the next year, and it’s 11 times more powerful and we’re just getting warmed up.
And I was just on my way here at a meeting in my office talking to someone who’s looking to (make) a $50 billion investment in artificial intelligence Upstate with the power we have. So we’re just getting started. And he said, “When we open this, we can have 11 more companies that’ll come.”
Reshma Saujani: Yeah.
Governor Hochul: You’re just seeing the beginning of this, but we planted the seeds, we gave us the foundation we needed, and this will help not just the Upstate economy, but all the way from here to Long Island.
Reshma Saujani: Governor, what do you think though? What’s the next part of this conversation? And if you look at the recent jobs report, you can finally see the impact that AI is going to have on jobs.
I often think about — actually, an ECNY member board trustee said this to me. He said, “We thought it was bad in the ’80s with the auto industry in Detroit. What’s about to happen in the next three to five years is going to be that times a hundred,” in terms of the impact that you’re going to see. And you’re immediately going to see it with young people, right?
Because many of those entry level jobs are just simply not going to be open. And any nation that has a bunch of young people unemployed — it’s not good for social unrest. And so what I’m not seeing enough about in the policy discourse is what’s the plan on jobs?
Governor Hochul: Yeah. Let me break this into two parts.
Before I launched this, I had a meeting up at the Governor’s residence with the CEOs of the largest tech companies in the nation and a lot of people involved in workforce development. And I put out the question — it was a very thoughtful evening before we did this — I said, “What happens to the jobs of people right now?”
I said, “Tell me how you’re preparing for this, how I should prepare for this.” And when they talked about the fact that there’s a task that it would take someone an entire week to do and they can now get it done in a day. He says, “That enhances our productivity that much. That person’s not going to lose their job, we’re going to be that much more productive and, therefore, more profitable.” And that is one side of the equation.
On the other hand, we’ve been encouraging young people to study coding for years.
Reshma Saujani: Yes.
Governor Hochul: Who would’ve thought coding would be obsolete?
Reshma Saujani: Not me. Certainly.
Governor Hochul: No. No. Yeah, so you need to have “Girls Who AI,” I guess. “Girls Who AI.” So, it is a transition, and you don’t need to tell me about disruption from these economic transformations, disruptors, because I’m from Buffalo. We lost our identity for two decades when Bethlehem Steel left. I mean, that shuttered down 20,000 jobs overnight.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah.
Governor Hochul: My entire family — I come from a big Irish family, everybody had to leave the state because —
Reshma Saujani: Yeah. You know this, you’ve seen it.
Governor Hochul: I saw it. I lived it. And it was depressing. Unemployment was 14, 17 percent when I was growing up. The headlines were always another company leaving town. That’s why I’m so focused on creating jobs.
So, I am concerned about the plight of the young people who were promised that if you go into these skills, there’ll be jobs for you forever. But let’s figure out these companies who assure us, who are going to say “we’re going to be more productive and more profitable.” But also, I have so many more jobs — I have 200 individuals, part of a new program at the University of Buffalo who are learning skills to harness the power of AI, and do things that you can’t even imagine in this room right now.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah.
Governor Hochul: And that’s where we’ve got to shift the focus to those who would’ve been working in traditional coding to be able to be in a position for these opportunities. But, deeply troubling to me is the fact that the unemployment rate for recent college grads is going up.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah, it’s going up.
Governor Hochul: And I have to find more opportunities for them to shift into the job.
I have 700,000 open jobs in New York, by the way. Our unemployment is still very low in this state. Whether it’s health care, whether it’s advanced manufacturing, whether it’s the trades where I’m building so much. We have a huge shortage of people in the trades, but also, education. I don’t have enough nurses because I don’t have enough nursing teachers.
So, I have such a demand for people. We just have to point them out. And I have a — go to my Department of Labor website.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah. I think it’s like figuring — I mean, there’s going to be more jobs than care. Listen, I think companies saying that they’re going to be more profitable as they reduce jobs is true.
The question is, what’s the role that business actually plays in ensuring that our next generation has an opportunity to march into the middle class? I have no doubt because you’ve seen this, that you’re going to help figure what that is.
Governor Hochul: We absolutely are. No, it is a challenge that we’re leaning into.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah. I want to talk about my favorite topic now — childcare. As you know, you’ve invested $7 billion in childcare. You were one of the first Governors in the country to really see the potential — and not the potential of childcare as a personal issue, but as an economic issue.
Governor Hochul: That’s right.
Reshma Saujani: Workers can’t work without childcare, and businesses don’t work without childcare, period. It is the same problem. For those of us in this room who still may see it as a social policy issue and not an economic issue, can you educate?
Governor Hochul: I sure can.
Reshma Saujani: Thank you.
Governor Hochul: Especially after the pandemic, I was convening leaders of various businesses, different parts of the state — I remember one forum I did in Westchester. And a lot of the business leaders were saying, “The women aren’t coming back to work after the pandemic.”
Reshma Saujani: Yeah.
Governor Hochul: Because so many childcare facilities shut down during the pandemic, never reopened. And this was a real — all of a sudden they realized, “Oh, this is a problem that affects me now and my company, because I can’t get the workers back.”
Before it was always viewed as, “Well, you wanted to have kids, you figure it out,” right? That’s how I felt. It was no support system and I was having my children. And so I love the fact that businesses are seeing this as their problem as well. It’s a competitive issue because I believe that the companies that are enlightened enough to find and provide some form of child care would be the ones that people gravitate to.
And whether it’s onsite for large facilities — look at what I did with Micron, we landed the largest private sector investment in American history in Upstate New York, 50,000 jobs, a $100 billion investment. But I also said, “We’ll support you.” The Chips and Science Act put in about $5 billion we put in about $6 [billion] from the State, and believe me, that was not an easy lift with our Legislature. But it’s going to result in construction jobs and long-term jobs. But I also said, “We’re going to support you, which you need to support the community. I’m going to need you to have a child care facility on site. You got big land, you got lots of room, you got lots of money.”
Guess what they’re doing? They’re building it right now, onsite child care. They’ll be able to have the parents, men and women who want to be able to see their kids during break time or not worry about them if they have to work late. That’s how you start solving this. And even in areas that are the small downtowns I visit, why don’t the five businesses on this block come together and put together a consortium and help subsidize a little program in this empty storefront right here? And the problem with New York City is we have zoning that makes it impossible to expand because everything has to be on the ground floor.
Reshma Saujani: That or close to a park, as you had said.
Governor Hochul: Yeah, a park. So I think it’s time to just — not just in housing, but in child care — New York City, in order to be competitive and address this crisis, has to be more nimble and look at regulations. And I have a team that’s scouring our regulations to find the ones that are barriers to businesses and their success, and this is definitely one of them in the City. So let’s figure that out. And it shouldn’t have to be on a first floor when a lot of these children are living in high rise apartments themselves. Why do they have to be on a ground floor to go be taken care of by another person? So there’s not a logic to it. But I do put it on the businesses now who want to employ people and support and find ways to support the workers.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah, we’re just coming off a meeting with the Partnership and with business leaders and they realize that this is the number one impediment to them being able to hire the best people. It feels like there’s a pivotal moment right now, both in the City and the State, childcare was the number one mayoral election — was a defining issue as to how parents, how people voted, quite frankly, in the primary election. It will be the same thing in the general. Can you commit to working with the next mayor on this issue? And do you feel like there’s room in the 2026 Budget to help increase child care investments?
Governor Hochul: Already had the conversation. We’ve been speaking all summer to find whether or not there’s a commonality and I have found it in many areas, and many major disagreements, which are widely known. But this is one area where we talked about the fact that I could — in one year we could do it, but it’s $7 billion for New York City alone. I doubled that because the rest of the state I cannot leave behind, I’m talking $15 billion. I have about $14 billion in reserves, I have a $3 billion hole from the federal government in one year because of the cuts in Medicaid support. I had to figure that out and $750 million this year alone. So we talked about the logic of starting it. And I already called for universal child care in my last Budget, so that’s why I have $2.2 billion being spent now. But there is absolutely a path to do this. And you have great ideas, we’re looking at your plans on the fact that you can’t do it all in one year, but you have to give people hope that—
Reshma Saujani: You can phase it in.
Governor Hochul: You can phase it in. That’s exactly what you do, that’s exactly what you do. But I also believe we could, this will make us more competitive as a state.
Reshma Saujani: That’s right.
Governor Hochul: Because we’ll have the employers, but the employee workforce that attrition will be reduced. And I think as someone who’s been in this business a long time and helped start some family businesses and helped run some tech companies in my previous life.
You take care of your employees during these early years when they just need help. The kids are, from birth until kindergarten, that’s when you support them. They’ll be with you the next 20, 30 years. So this is an investment in people.
Reshma Saujani: That’s right.
Governor Hochul: That shows they matter. And after the pandemic, I think young people particularly, everybody’s priorities shifted more toward families are really important.
Reshma Saujani: Families are very important.
Governor Hochul: We’ve seen that loss of life that was so prevalent during the pandemic and realizing how precious it is. People really need that time with their families, and I think it makes them come back to work as a more engaged individual. And that’s why even paid family leave — my son just came off of paid leave two years ago with the new baby. My son-in-law is now going to be starting his four months to take care of the baby. So that also creates a relationship with children that just wasn’t there when my dad was working at the factory, the long hours they put in. But I think it’s really important and you’ll get a more well adjusted, happier, more committed employee. I think businesses need to look at the whole of that person, their happiness and contentment and you take care of their problems, makes them more productive for you.
Reshma Saujani: I’m going to take that as a yes, Governor.
Governor Hochul: Yes, oh yes.
Reshma Saujani: All right. I’m a mom of a five-year-old and a 10-year-old, and I think a lot about crime and safety. Oftentimes when I’m walking to school, I’ll see someone shooting up on the corner. Crime is a problem, a big problem in the city. How do you balance keeping New Yorkers safe?
Governor Hochul: This has been job number one since I’ve been in office, exactly four years. Right after the pandemic, our numbers were escalating at frighteningly high numbers. Whether it was the shootings, the murders, the assaults, subway crimes, and we’re trying to tell people, “the pandemic’s over, come back to work and please ignore the scary headlines about the crimes in the subway and get on the subway.” I knew that we had to make the subway safer before we could make that case to people to get back on your main primary vehicle of transportation to come to your jobs. And so we did.
We invested so much energy into this. I can’t tell you how many meetings I had with my law enforcement team just trying to strategize. And working with the mayor on how we could do this, and subway safety is something that I have more say over because basically the MTA is a creature of the State. So you saw what we did, several years ago we started, we launched cops, cameras and care. Cops. I said, “I need to flood the zone.” I need to have more police officers visible and to the extent that they couldn’t afford to do more in the city, I said, “I’ll pay for overtime.” You’ve never had this in the history of New York, but the Governor’s paying for law enforcement overtime to cover the subways. There’s two police officers on all the overnight trains.
Crime has plummeted, and that’s normally the most dangerous time when it comes to crimes. It’s on the overnight when we have our health care workers and our people in hospitality and the trains late at night and there are not many other people. So we focus on police officers.
Then, we are taking it down and I saw a little spike in March of last year and I said, “I can’t even have a little blip. I cannot start this trend upward again.” So I said, National Guard next. And again, I’m the one who deploys the National Guard in New York because I’m the Commander in Chief.
I’ve had this chat with the President about whose responsibility it is. I said, “I’ll give you a call.”
Reshma Saujani: To remind him?
Governor Hochul: I said, “I’ll give you a call if I need you,” and he said okay. So we’ll just put that over here. We’re good right now. But the National Guard there, not that they had a policing function. Or a military function, but the deterrent effect, and I can’t tell you who told me, like they just felt better. Like they just thought no one’s going to do anything bad with that guy standing there or that woman’s standing there. And so between the police, the National Guard, more MTA Police calming it all down, and then there’s a camera now on every train. And they told me it would take a few years. They said, “It will not take a couple years. You’re doing it now and we’re going to speed it up.” They doubled their time. Every train is a camera, so behave. When you’re on the trains, you’re being watched.
And also we talk about care. It is the people getting on the train in the morning and there’s been homeless individuals sleeping on the train overnight or someone sleeping on the platform. Or as soon as you come out, they create this sense of anxiety for people.
You don’t know if this person is harmless or are they going to do something harmful to you or your family member? And that’s the unease people feel. We took a lot of effort to put in the money and building out the supply of supportive housing. We took a thousand people who had been long-term homeless longer than a year, living in those confines there and getting them into supportive housing. But then there had been a historic approach to people with severe mental health problems — because not all people are homeless, have mental health problems — because some just literally can’t afford a place to live, may have lost their apartment.
So there’s that category, but those — some serious mental health problems. The conventional wisdom was always that they have a civil liberty right to be there. You can’t remove them. I took that on this year in the legislature and it was a tough one, and I was able to change the laws that allow for law enforcement and people who are mental health professionals to do an assessment and to remove someone — it’s called involuntary — get them into a hospital for care and evaluation and put them on a treatment plan and make sure that someone’s watching that is implemented so they don’t cycle right back to the streets. And we’re making a real difference there as well.
So, Reshma, I will tell you there’s still problems out there, but we just had the July and August statistics for the subway, the lowest crime rate in history — those two months and summertime, it usually you when things break down. And same thing with murders are down statewide, about 35 percent — shootings down about 27 percent. The numbers are trending in a great direction. Again, the trajectory was going up. We are going down. But there’s a psychological effect. It’s hard for people to wash away the earlier fears they had and say, “Oh, the Governor just said the statistics are good. I feel much better.” I’m realistic because there’s going to be still another horrific case tomorrow, and that one story is going to make people feel it could happen to them, even though we have the lowest crime rate of any big city in America. It just doesn’t feel like that. So that’s why I have to work on the psychology part of it now, and we’ll keep the investments going, but that is so important to me — statewide in the city. I’ve rolled out $3 billion in law enforcement money. No Governor has ever funded law enforcement at that scale. And we’re seeing some good numbers.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah. It’s working. So after the pause on congestion pricing, business leaders want a credible MTA Capital Plan. How are you securing long-term capital for transit while keeping the city moving? And what’s the alternative funding package you’re advancing?
Governor Hochul: We’re good for the next Capital Plan for sure. That was not an easy lift when I was fairly new at being Governor, the MTA was hitting off the fiscal cliff. It had not been invested in at the levels it needed to just do the basic repair and maintenance, much less expansion. And so I had to put a lot of money and get credit for saving it from its demise, which was just a few years ago. And also the number of riders was way down because of the pandemic, and we’re trying to bring that up.
So then last year I had to structure a plan to fund a $68 billion Capital Plan for the next four years — five years. And that was hard, but I negotiated it with the Legislature. The Payroll Mobility Tax went up a little bit, but that is basically what is funding it for now. I’m committed to this and not just the existing projects and the safety and the new signalization and the other elements that need to be maintained, but I’m starting new projects.
The Second Avenue Subway, next phase is going to be completed. I’m working with the federal government to get that done. We’re working hard on that. It’s going to take time, obviously, but also the Interborough Express. I love this project because I know in Manhattan, the perception is the world revolves around Manhattan, but there’s actually a couple of other boroughs — four exactly — Queens in Brooklyn. A lot of people live and work out there or one or the other want to visit the family. You shouldn’t have to take the train into the city to go back out. So I’m creating a connection, a nine mile connection that uses abandoned rail lines. We’re already underway and I’m really excited about that. That’s being funded by this Capital Plan as well, the Interborough Express connecting Brooklyn and Queens.
So there’s a lot of good projects we’re doing and also I’m doing the bus station over and no one would do the bus station because it was too expensive. The alternative was like, let’s just leave it there and let somebody else worry about it. Those are the projects I lean into. Ones that people think they can just keep kicking down the road and ignoring, whether it’s that — I think it’s $10 billion to redo the bus station, but it’s going to be beautiful and change that neighborhood, it’s going to be so enhanced. And Penn Station
Reshma Saujani: It looks fantastic.
Governor Hochul: We haven’t even started yet. You’re looking at parts of it, some elements of it are done, but I talked to the President about — this is my first conversation with him back in November. I said, “Mr. President, I think there’s a lot we can do together. You’re a New Yorker. I’m a New Yorker. We can work out together.” And I said, “I’ll be honest with you, I’m going to have to hit you, criticize when I disagree or think you’re hurting New Yorkers or our values or our rights. But I also think there’s a lot of areas for collaboration.” And Penn Station was one of them, and we’ve been trying for three years to get Amtrak to get out of our way so I could burst through and start making some improvements there. And I told the President that and he changed the leadership and got Andy Byford now. And so we’re doing good things and then we had about $1 billion set aside for Penn Station, but it’s going to cost a lot more than that, probably seven, eight, nine billion dollars.
And I remember the Secretary of Transportation said, “We’re taking it over,” — pushing me aside. Thank you. Because you run it, I lease it.
And I just said, “You just saved me $1 billion.”
And I put the billion I took out of it and said, “You’re paying the whole cost,” and I put that toward the Interborough Express. So all’s good and I talked to the President about it not long ago about the plans and how grandiose you want to make them. You want me to bring the plans down? So we’re on a track to — and those are just not just the subway, not just infrastructure, but I really do love infrastructure projects. It puts a lot of people to work, helps a lot of our companies, the engineering firms, the design firms, the architect that puts a lot of people to work and the result is creating structures that have been just so abandoned and ignored and just taken for granted. It always has to be that way, and I just refuse to accept that. So I’ll always find a path for it.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah, I remember we were talking about the Second Avenue Subway when I ran for Congress in 2010. It’s like these infrastructure projects have been around for so long. Every time I’m on the Amtrak, I see these expensive trains that my tax dollars went to that’re just sitting there.
Governor Hochul: Second Avenue Subway expansion to create what is now a transit desert and bring people the ability to work in the rest of the City has been talked about since 1940. I literally went into the tunnels and they stopped it in the sixties. Because they didn’t have enough money or ambition. Yeah and so I said, “No, we’re getting this done.”
Reshma Saujani: So take the mood down even more. As of September, the State Budget Director is projecting a $750 million shortfall this fiscal year and a $3 billion deficit next year, much of it due to federal spending cuts. I mean these gaps are having enormous ripple effects for families and businesses. Talk about—
Governor Hochul: Both of those—
Reshma Saujani: The cuts to—
Governor Hochul: No, those are both directly correlated to what happened on July 4th, when the President signed what he calls a beautiful bill. I find it rather ugly when it comes to the impact on New York. Exactly. So, the $750 million was a direct cut to Medicaid for us this year. So, we were having to go look at our agencies, figure it out, trying to just find a path forward. $750 million I have to make up this year, and I have to make up $3 billion next year unless we’re going to tell people that they have no Medicaid and it is—
Reshma Saujani: Or no Head Start—
Governor Hochul: Oh no. And the nutrition programs. So here’s the problem. We get about $93 billion a year from the federal government, the State does, as part of my Budget. All kinds of programs that have historically been funded — that’s just how it is. And we send a lot of money to this federal government. I cannot, as the Governor, backfill cuts to the scale even we’re talking about. I just cannot make up for it. So, there are consequences to these actions that must be heard loud and clear. We didn’t do this, we didn’t ask for this, but I have almost two million people in New York State who are going to be at risk of losing their health care overall. What that does — it’ll destabilize our hospitals because people will still get sick and they’ll walk in the door and they will not have a Medicaid card to cover it.
Even in our rural areas, I was up in the North Country the other day opening up a brand new facility of 650 jobs we were able to save by bringing in — I digress, I get excited about bringing in jobs, but there’s intense anxiety about hospitals. There will be hospitals closing in rural parts of our state, and you don’t feel it right here, but most of our state is rural. Most of Upstate, most of our state geographically is by hospitals that are already far apart. You close a few of those. It’s going to have a devastating effect on people’s ability to get life-saving health care or just preventative care or testing. So, the point is, we have to make people know this. I have 400,000 people that are going to lose it. I already sent out the notices 90 days ago. I’m sorry, nine months from now.
I had to give 400,000 people, right off the bat, they’re getting a letter from me that’s going to say, if you don’t want this to happen, push your member of Congress to extend this or to stop this. So, I don’t think New York State should wear this. We’ll need to know where this came from, but I’ll have to deal with the fallout without a doubt. And it’ll have an effect on trying to figure out $3 billion here. That’s 3 billion less for other programs that we want to fund and we’re talking about. That’s what we have to manage.
We’ll get through it, but it is absolutely unnecessary at a time when our costs are going up because of tariffs — talk to a farmer in the North Country or around Central New York as I have. The tariffs are making it more expensive for them. They lost their markets in Canada — our biggest trading partner is Canada, $50 billion trade relationship between the U.S. and Canada. And they want nothing to do with us. I’m heading up to Quebec and we are trying to meet some premieres and others to try and reset a relationship. But they still look at it: “We like you New York, but your country wants to take us over.” That’s a little hard. I don’t know what I can tell you there. It’s a little hard, but they’re boycotting our liquor, our stores are, they’re not coming over. It is a ghost town in the North Country, our little tourist places all summer long — Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Lake George. It is devastating and I think people up there are realizing, like this is from Congress accepting the President’s plan and there are going to be consequences.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah I hear that from small business owners all the time that are just getting crushed and they don’t have a lot of time to figure it out and they can’t actually impose the cost on customers anymore because everybody, all, every, everybody’s drowning.
Governor Hochul: Inflation is not settling down. We are promised lower prices on day one. Remember that? Lower prices, lower utility. Everybody has promised. If they just stayed the way they were before we’d be okay. We could survive now to go on top of inflation. On inflation. Yeah. And what are we heading in for? Is it stagflation next? Is it, yeah, the long recession? There’s just so much uncertainty right now. And I look at life through the perspective of business as well. I look at businesses as my customers, and that’s the world I was in before as politics. Businesses aren’t going to make decisions without having some clarity, some certainty. They need to know the rules of the road. We can handle it. Just tell us what they are. Are there going to be tariffs on these products? Is my supply chain going to be affected, my supply chain going to dry up or not. And they, that’s suppressing a lot of growth here.
I have a council of economic advisors myself, the top, smartest people in the State were in my office yesterday as we try to work through this. And the indicators, again, not anything to do with the State of New York but out of Washington, it’s really complicated the ability for businesses to just see clear enough down the road and say, “Yes, we’re going to expand our line, we’re going to hire more people, we’re going to, expand our facility from Downstate up to Upstate.” Everybody’s in a holding pattern.
Reshma Saujani: Right.
Governor Hochul: And that is not how business stagnates if it doesn’t keep growing.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah, you can’t grow without stability.
Governor Hochul: And I want to foster a very pro-business environment. The jobs that are created, the economic benefit, the pride that we have when businesses are here. And I want people to know that I’m going to work very hard. So, people know that they’re always welcome in this state and this era of people feeling denigrated because of their success that you know, is not going to come back.
Reshma Saujani: Yeah. So, as we close out, for all the business leaders in this room, what’s one ask that you make of them?
Governor Hochul: Stay calm. Seriously. I think we rely so much on the business leaders to have confidence and to understand that there is, at least in the State of New York, I can’t speak for beyond New York, that we have calm, steady leadership that understands how important businesses are for my bottom line, number one the revenues we generate, but also just again, I go back to coming from an era when the jobs were just gone and every job mattered and no one could find a livelihood, and it just destroyed so many lives when I was growing up. I never lose it. So, I value businesses for their investments in our state tremendously, and the people that they’re giving the dignity of a good job so just stay the course.
Washington will manage. We’ll be okay with the city, the next mayor, I assure you, we’re going to be okay and I don’t want you to make a decision. And some have said we might leave the state. You don’t have to. You don’t have to. You’ll regret it because all the action right here in New York.
Reshma Saujani: All the vibes are here. That’s right. Thank you, Governor.
In a Sept. 14, 2025 Empire Report op-ed from Albany, N.Y., Gov. Kathy Hochul warns of escalating political violence and urges leaders and voters to lower the rhetoric, reject dehumanizing language, and hold public figures to account. Citing recent attacks and threats, she argues that social-media amplification fuels extremism and says speech carries real-world consequences. Hochul outlines New York’s prevention strategy: strengthened red-flag protections, enhanced monitoring of credible online threats, and local Threat Assessment and Management (TAM) teams now operating in 52 counties plus New York City, with more than 2,000 interventions. Invoking the post-9/11 spirit of unity, she says democracy depends on debate—not bloodshed—and calls for collective action to stop violence before it starts.
ICYMI: Governor Hochul’s Op-Ed in Empire Report: Political Violence Deserves No Place in Our Democracy — And It’s on Us to Stop It.
Today, Empire Report published an op-ed by Governor Kathy Hochul about the alarming rise of political violence in America—and the responsibility we all have to to stop it.
An assassination attempt on President Trump. The assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and the shooting of State Senator John Hoffman. A plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer and a firebombing at the home of Governor Josh Shapiro. The violent attack on our Capitol on January 6. And now, the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a disturbing and increasingly common pattern of political violence. And unless we take action, it won’t stop here.
Over the course of the past few days we’ve rightfully seen leaders from both sides of the aisle forcefully condemn the horrific violence that bore out in Utah on Wednesday. But we’ve also watched voices declare war on their fellow Americans and fan the flames of anger, no doubt contributing to the ensuing rise in swatting threats across the country at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and political offices.
All of us as Americans, but especially those in positions of leadership, must grapple with the fact that we allowed ourselves to reach a place where a growing number of people believe that using violence against those we disagree with is acceptable.
In an age defined by viral rhetoric and algorithmic amplification, the line between speech and violence has become increasingly blurred. Social media algorithms reward provocative, emotionally charged content. And as a result, extremist narratives are shared, liked, and recommended — not because they are truthful, but because they drive engagement.
And then here we are — in a feedback loop, where extreme language spreads, often unchecked, and someone eventually pulls the trigger.
What makes this pattern especially insidious is its built-in deniability. Because we often describe the perpetrators of these heinous acts as “lone wolves,” those whose rhetoric radicalized or mobilized them to violence can claim they can’t be blamed for actions they did not directly command. This shields the radicalizer from responsibility, even as the violence catalyzed by their language becomes more and more frequent.
Some will argue that this is an attack on free speech. I call B.S. The First Amendment protects citizens from government censorship, but it does not shield those of us in the public spotlight from accountability. Freedom of expression should not become a smokescreen for promoting hate or encouraging violence.
We must move beyond the fiction that speech exists in a vacuum. When influential voices frame opponents as less than human, they create the conditions in which violence becomes justifiable.
At this point however, identifying the pattern is not enough.
First, leaders must commit to toning down their rhetoric, and everyday Americans must hold us all accountable. There should be consequences at the ballot box and in the court of public opinion when we don’t.
Second, we must take real steps to try to help those who may be on the path towards violence, to turn around and walk the opposite direction.
During my first year in office, my hometown of Buffalo was rocked by the racially motivated murder of 10 Black New Yorkers who were targeted simply because of the color of their skin. In the wake of that tragedy, I knew that the only way we could possibly stop these horrors was to reduce the chances an unstable violent individual could possess a weapon by increasing our red flag laws, ensure law enforcement had the tools they need to monitor online threats, and embrace a prevention model that leverages comprehensive, multidisciplinary interventions to stop violence.
In New York, this approach is embodied by the creation of local Threat Assessment and Management (TAM) teams. They can include law enforcement, mental health professionals, school officials, large employers, the public safety net, and health care systems. Together, they assemble the puzzle pieces to identify behaviors that can ultimately lead to violence.
52 counties plus New York City now field TAM teams and have collectively intervened in more than 2,000 cases. Considering the rage and vitriol that is flooding the internet and airwaves, our objective is to prevent violence before it occurs — responding after the fact isn’t enough.
This week I stood on sacred ground to honor the lives of those lost 24 years ago on 9/11. I thought about what happened on September 12, 2001, when — in the face of unspeakable horror — our nation’s greatest strength was its unity.
I urge New Yorkers and Americans to harken back to that same sense of unifying purpose. Political violence has no place in America. A democracy thrives on debate, not bloodshed.
As broken as our nation can feel at times like this, I still believe to my core that the ties that bind us are much stronger than the forces that seek to tear us apart. Most of us, no matter where we fall on the political spectrum, have the same dreams: a safe place for our kids, our work, to have fun, and to live with a sense of purpose and dignity. That’s the America I hold in my heart, and I believe it should exist in everyone’s heart.
So in this moment, let us come together and resolve to forge a safer, more tolerant world, not just for today, for our children and our grandchildren. We have work to do, but as always, New Yorkers and Americans are up for the challenge.
Summary: On September 11, 2025, in Albany, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a three-bill package designed to deliver targeted, operational relief to stakeholders affected by 9/11. A.2123-A/S.1165-A (“Ignazio Giacalone Act”) strengthens the public-sector talent pipeline by awarding additional civil service exam credits to children and siblings of NYC sanitation workers who died from 9/11-related conditions; A.8417/S.8181 modernizes governance by reconstituting the September 11th Worker Protection Task Force with new appointments, biannual meetings, expanded study scope, a reset reporting deadline, and an extension through June 10, 2030; and S.4554-A/A.5458-A streamlines benefits administration by allowing the NYC Police Pension Fund to rely on a timely Notice of Participation to establish World Trade Center rescue/recovery service, accelerating disability and death benefit determinations for eligible responders and families.
On September 11, 2025 in Albany, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a package of 9/11 laws to expand support for survivors’ families and first responders: A.2123-A/S.1165-A (the “Ignazio Giacalone Act”) grants extra civil service exam credits to children and siblings of NYC sanitation workers who died from 9/11-related illnesses; A.8417/S.8181 revitalizes the September 11th Worker Protection Task Force with new appointments, twice-yearly meetings, broader study areas, a reset annual report deadline, and an extension through June 10, 2030; and S.4554-A/A.5458-A streamlines World Trade Center disability and death benefit claims by allowing the NYC Police Pension Fund to rely on a timely Notice of Participation—ensuring eligible responders and their families receive benefits faster.
In Honor of 9/11, Governor Hochul Signs Legislation To Support Families of 9/11 Victims
Legislation (A.2123-A/S.1165-A) Bolsters Pathway to Public Service for Children and Siblings of Deceased NYC Sanitation Workers
Legislation (A.8417/S.8181) Revitalizes the September 11th Worker Protection Task Force
Legislation (S.4554-A/A.5458-A) Expedites the World Trade Center Disability and Death Benefit Application Process
On the anniversary of September 11, 2001, Governor Kathy Hochul announced today that she has signed legislation to expand access to resources and provide more opportunities for the families and loved ones of those who have been impacted by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The package of bills will revive and strengthen the September 11th Worker Protection Task Force, bolster the pathway to public service for children and siblings of New York City sanitation workers who lost their lives due to exposure and cleanup after September 11th, and expedite the World Trade Center disability and death benefit application process to ensure survivors are eligible to obtain vital benefits.
“The 9/11 terrorist attacks are events that we will never forget. We must continue to honor the fallen heroes who put their lives on the line to protect New Yorkers, as well as their families who have been impacted by these horrific events,” Governor Hochul said. “This legislation will give back to the families of 9/11 victims, ensuring they are supported by the state and their loved ones are forever remembered.”
Governor Hochul signed the following bills into law:
Legislation A.2123-A/S.1165-A provides children and siblings of NYC sanitation workers who have died from 9/11-related illnesses and injuries additional civil service exam points for a position located in the municipality where their deceased parent or sibling served.
Legislation A.8417/S.8181 revitalizes the September 11th Worker Protection Task Force by requiring new appointments to the taskforce, setting a biannual meeting requirement, expanding areas of study, resetting the June deadline for the annual report and extending the provisions of the act until June 10, 2030.
Legislation S.4554-A/A.5458-A expedites the World Trade Center disability and death benefit application process by allowing the NYC Police Pension Fund to rely on a timely and properly filed Notice of Participation as requisite criteria for establish participation in rescue, recovery and cleanup operations at the World Trade Center, unless an employer proves otherwise.
State Senator Robert Jackson said, “September 11th forever reshaped our city — but it also revealed the courage and sacrifice of those who stood up when it mattered most. Among this legislative package are two bills I am proud to sponsor: the Ignazio Giacalone Act, which ensures that the legacy of sanitation workers who gave their lives lives on through the children and siblings who follow in their path of public service; and the revitalization of the 9/11 Workers Protection Task Force, which guarantees that the health, benefits, and dignity of those who answered the call will never be overlooked or forgotten. Alongside the other measures in this package, these bills turn remembrance into responsibility, and grief into justice. I thank Governor Hochul for signing them into law and standing with us to uplift the memory and the rights of 9/11 victims and their families.”
State Senator Monica R. Martinez said, “For responders of the September 11th terrorist attacks, the pain of that day has never faded, nor have the physical and emotional burdens they’ve carried in the years since. Deputy Sheriff Richard Stueber served with honor at Ground Zero, but the toll of that commitment was the loss of his life and a financial hardship left to his family. I thank Governor Hochul for signing this legislation to provide Stacie Stueber with the benefits her husband earned through his service and sacrifice.”
State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton said, “Every year on this day, New York feels the weight of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center, but no one more so than the brave first responders who returned to Ground Zero day after day, putting their health on the line for our city. For them, 9/11 is something they grapple with every day, not just through memory, but through the countless health complications that have arisen for them since. The least we can do is make sure they receive the benefits they earned through their dedicated service, which is why I introduced this legislation to cut through all the existing red tape. Securing these benefits has been an uphill battle for too many 9/11 first responders, and I’m proud that on this 24th anniversary, Governor Hochul signed my bill into law. Now every officer who risked everything to protect our city — and their families — can access the benefits they deserve.”
Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato said, “I applaud Governor Hochul’s leadership by signing these bills into law, including A.8417 which strengthens and extends the impactful work of the 9/11 Task Force, along with A.5458 which will allow for survivors and heroes from that horrendous day to be eligible to obtain the vital benefits they deserve. It’s clear that when New York says we’ll never forget — we mean it. May the memories of those we lost forever be a blessing, and God bless those who saved lives that day, and helped in the aftermath.”
Assemblymember Joseph DeStefano said, “Today’s bill signing is about justice, compassion, and keeping faith with those who answered the call after 9/11. Deputy Sheriff Stueber gave everything he had to his community and his country, and this law ensures that his family will finally receive the benefits he earned. This legislation is a promise kept — that New York will not forget its 9/11 heroes. It is a pledge to the Stueber family and to all first responders that their service and sacrifice will always be honored.”
Assemblymember Sam Berger said, “As the youngest member of the Assembly, I believe it is my generation’s duty to ensure the sacrifices of the past are never forgotten. This bill honors the legacy of sanitation workers like Ignazio who put their lives on the line for New York. But more, signing this bill into law is a statement from New York State that we see you, we thank you, and we will never forget your heroism and your sacrifice. Thank you, Governor Hochul, for recognizing those brave New York sanitation workers and paving the path for those children who choose to follow in their footsteps.”
Police Conference of New York President Michael O’Meara said, “On this 24th Anniversary of 9/11 we want to thank Governor Hochul, Senator Jackson, Senator Scarcella-Spanton and Assemblywoman Pheffer-Amato for their leadership and advocacy on behalf of our community of first responders and their families who were forever affected by the horrific attacks on September 11th. They continue to support us, not only in their words, but in their actions. Thank you.”
New York State Public Employee Conference Chairman Peter D. Meringolo said, “On behalf of the 95 member units comprising the New York State Public Employee Conference, collectively representing more than one million active and retired public employees, many of whom participated in the rescue, recovery, and aftermath of the 9/11 attack on our country, I thank Governor Hochul for signing these important bills into law. Enactment of this legislation once again exhibits her true commitment to the working men and women who dedicate themselves to public service.”
New York City Sanitation Officers’ Association President Joseph Mannion said, “We are very pleased with the passage of New York State Senate Bill 1165-A / Assembly Bill 2123-A, which provides additional credits to children and siblings of New York city sanitation members who died in the performance of duty as the natural and proximate result of the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001. On behalf of all NYC Sanitation Officers, our sincere thanks go out to Senator Robert Jackson and Assemblyman Sam Berger for sponsoring this important legislation, and to Governor Kathy Hochul for enacting it into law.”
Michael Giacalone, a sanitation worker and the son of Ignazio Giacalone for whom the bill is named after, said, “I’m beyond grateful for the signing of the ‘Ignazio Giacalone Act.’ I want to thank the Governor, the NYS Assembly and Senate, Local 831 and 444, and NYS Assemblyman Berger. A very big thank you to Retired DSNY Supervisor Edward Panzarella. This bill would not be where it is today without his efforts. It is truly an honor to have this bill carry the name of my father.”
