Gotham Gazette

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Kathy Hochul

Kathy Hochul

  • Hochul Presents State of the State Agenda Focused on Public Safety, Housing Development, Mental Health Care, Climate Action, & More

    Gov. Hochul (photo: Governor's Office)


    Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday delivered her second State of the State speech, and the first since she was elected to a full term, pledging to tackle crime, boost housing production, advance climate action, and invest heavily in the state’s mental health system to “make New York more affordable, more livable, and safer.”

    Speaking in the Assembly chamber at the Capitol building in Albany, Hochul outlined a broad legislative and policy agenda for the year ahead. It was Hochul’s first fully in-person State of the State address, following last year’s speech

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  • Guideposts for the Governor to Shape a Responsible 2023 Agenda

    Governor Hochul gives her first State of the State (photo: Darren McGee/Governor's Office)


    A year ago, after Governor Hochul had made her first State of the State address, I wrote a column,For State’s Future, The Governor Must Say No, urging her to reject well-intentioned but unwise proposals by legislators and activists. Reading it again now, after Hochul’s

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  • Max Politics Podcast: Dan Doctoroff on the Plan for a 'New' New York

    Dan Doctoroff, far right, with the Mayor, Governor, and others (photo: Governor's Office)


    December 15, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Dan Doctoroff on the Plan for a 'New' New York

    Dan Doctoroff, former deputy mayor and now co-chair of the 'New' New York panel assembled by Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams, joined the show to discuss the extensive action plan put forward by the task force, governor, and mayor.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter @TweetBenMax. You can listen to the show

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  • What to Know About the Adult Survivors Act, New York’s New Law Allowing Civil Suits Over Past Sexual Abuse

    Gov. Hochul signs the Adult Survivors Act (photo: Darren McGee/Governor's Office)


    As of November 24, the Adult Survivors Act went into effect in New York State, allowing survivors of sexual offenses one year to file civil claims for cases that occurred even decades ago. 

    The Adult Survivors Act (ASA) was signed into law in May by Governor Kathy Hochul, the state’s first female governor, and removes the statute of limitations for certain civil claims regarding past sexual offenses between November 24 2022 and

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  • Police Have Removed Over 1,300 'Emotionally Disturbed People’ from Transit in 2022; Where Did They Go?

    Mayor Adams on the subway (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography office)


    In the first 11 months of the year, the NYPD removed 1,300 people suffering symptoms of mental illness from the city's transit system, often against their will. The city is unable or unwilling to say what happened to them next.

    "Dealing with people who have mental health illnesses must be a focus of any plan moving forward," Mayor Eric Adams said at an October 22 announcement of a new subway safety campaign with Governor Kathy Hochul, dubbed Cops,

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  • City Council Pushes State on Climate Plan, Allocation of Environmental Bond Act Funds

    Council Members Lincoln Restler, center, & Jim Gennaro (photo: John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit)


    The New York City Council is calling on Governor Kathy Hochul, the State Legislature, and other environmental leaders to strongly consider New York City as they plan and implement the next phases of the state’s sweeping climate agenda.

    In a resolution adopted Wednesday the Council is urging the state to allocate New York City its

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  • 'A Bill Like This Should Be A No-Brainer': Hochul Yet to Move on Legislation Restoring Comptroller's Contract Review Powers

    Gov. Hochul at a bill-signing (photo: Mike Groll/Governor's Office)


    Update: Governor Hochul signed legislation to restore some of the comptroller's oversight of SUNY, CUNY, and Office of General Services centralized contracts on December 30, 2022.

    Governor Kathy Hochul has yet to sign a bill that would restore some of the Comptroller's contract oversight powers that had been stripped by her predecessor, Andrew Cuomo, putting her at odds with the state's chief fiscal watchdog, members of the State Legislature,

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  • As Hochul Promises ‘Bold’ Agenda, Many Housing Policies on the Table for 2023 in Albany

    Gov. Hochul at a housing event (photo: Kevin P. Coughlin/Governor's Office)


    New York faces an acute housing crisis: rents are sky high, not enough housing is being built, homeownership is increasingly out of reach, and there is a looming eviction crisis coming out of the covid pandemic. But while the issues contributing to the problem have long been simmering, solutions from state and city leaders have been halting and piecemeal, far from meeting the need wherein 53% of New York City tenants are...

  • Max Politics Podcast: Ron Kim on How Democrats Can Win Back Asian Voters

    Assemblymember Ron Kim (photo: @rontkim)


    November 30, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Ron Kim on How Democrats Can Win Back Asian Voters

    Queens Assemblymember Ron Kim, fresh off a narrow reelection win, joined the show to discuss how Democrats can win back Asian voters who have been moving toward Republicans in recent election cycles, what's wrong with the Democratic Party in New York, and more.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter @TweetBenMax. You can listen to the show through the embedded

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  • Despite State Budget Funding, Little Progress Bringing Psychiatric Beds Back Into Service

    Hospital staff (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    New York State has made little progress bringing 1,000 shuttered psychiatric beds back into service after they were closed during the covid pandemic, raising questions about a signature element of the mental health and public safety agendas of Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams.

    In the April budget, Hochul and the Legislature allocated $27.5 million in state funding, matched by federal dollars, to restore the roughly 1,050 psychiatric beds shifted at the height of the pandemic when hospitals scrambled to make room for the

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  • Many Variables, Significant Uncertainty in Latest Fiscal Updates for New York State, City, and MTA

    Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul (photo: Don Pollard/Governor's Office)


    New York State and City weathered the worst of the financial devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to billions in federal aid and a good bit of fortune in revenues from Wall Street and personal income taxes. But fiscal uncertainty looms on the horizon amid major stock market losses, warnings of a recession, ongoing pandemic workplace shifts, and federal relief funds running out, creating future budget gaps that will test the fiscal management of Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams’

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  • Max Politics Podcast: After a Disappointing Election, What's Next for New York Democrats

    A pre-election Democratic rally (photo: @nydems)


    November 17, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: After a Disappointing Election, What's Next for New York Democrats

    L. Joy Williams, a Democratic strategist, president of the Brooklyn NAACP, and host of Sunday Civics, joined the show to break down the 2022 election results and discuss what's next for the New York State Democratic Party and Brooklyn Democratic Party, Gov. Kathy Hochul, bridging divides among Democrats' progressive and establishment wings, and more.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you

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  • Victorious, Now Governor Hochul Needs to Lead on Climate

    Gov. Hochul makes a green jobs announcement (photo: Governor's Office)


    Governor Kathy Hochul won election in a low turnout race thanks to progressive activists, elected officials, and organizations who showed up to get out the vote. Now it’s time for her to deliver on her campaign’s climate promises and pass the Climate, Jobs and Justice legislative package.

    It has been three years since New York passed its landmark climate law, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. In that time, the state has ...

  • A Full Term in Hand, What's Governor Hochul's Agenda?

    Gov. Hochul (photo: Kevin P. Coughlin/Governor's Office)


    Kathy Hochul made history last week, becoming the first woman to be elected governor of New York. Hochul, a Democrat who took over in August 2021 after Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned in disgrace, will now serve a full four-year term with the opportunity to more fully craft her agenda. But she already has a lengthy set of priorities either in motion or that she has promised to pursue, and there is more that others expect her to address, whether they voted for or against her. 

    Though Hochul had a far more extensive campaign platform than

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  • Max Politics Podcast: Messaging, Gender, and the 2022 New York Governor's Race

    Gov. Hochul with fellow women in office, advocacy (photo: Darren McGee/Governor's Office)


    November 11, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Gender and New York's 2022 Elections

    Alexis Grenell, a Democratic strategist, co-founder of Pythia Public, and writer on politics and gender, joined the show to discuss Kathy Hochul's win as the first woman elected Governor of New York, messaging and gender in the campaign, and more.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter @TweetBenMax. You can listen to the

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  • An Initial Look at Voter Turnout in New York's 2022 General Election

    Gov. Hochul votes (photo: @KathyHochul)


    Approximately 5.7 million New Yorkers across the state cast ballots in one of the closest races for governor in over two decades, according to unofficial 2022 election data. Some votes, especially final absentee ballots, are still being counted.

    That amounts to roughly 43% of New York's 13.1 million registered voters, a lower turnout than in the 2018 gubernatorial election, when a surge of electoral enthusiasm driven by opposition to the Trump presidency and other factors pushed turnout to 48%.

    In 2018, Democrats cruised to victories in

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  • Max Politics Podcast: Examining Hochul's Win, Other 2022 New York Election Results, with Basil Smikle Jr.

    Gov. Kathy Hochul & Basil Smikle Jr. (photo: @BasilSmiklePhD)


    November 9, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Breaking Down the 2022 New York Election Results, with Basil Smikle

    Dr. Basil Smikle Jr., former Executive Director of the New York State Democratic Party and currently a professor at Hunter College, joined the show to break down the results of New York's 2022 general election.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter @TweetBenMax. You can listen to the show through the embedded audio below or

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  • New York Voters Approve $4.2 Billion Environmental Bond Act

    Gov. Hochul at a climate action announcement (photo: Mike Groll/Governor's Office)


    Voters across New York have approved $4.2 billion in state borrowing proposed by Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature to pay for major projects environmentalists say are key to developing a more robust response to climate change and pollution.

    In numbers sure to shift as more votes are counted, initial election night tallies showed about 68% of voters approving the measure, 28% disapproving, and 12% of voters not weighing in at all. The Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act

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  • Democrat Kathy Hochul, New York's First Female Governor, Elected to Full Term

    Gov. Hochul sworn in, August 2021 (photo: Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)


    Democrat Kathy Hochul, New York's first female governor, was elected to the position for the first time Tuesday, winning a full term in a race that put Democrats' control over the traditionally blue bastion to the test.

    The race was called just after 11 p.m. Tuesday, with Hochul beating her Republican challenger, U.S. Rep Lee Zeldin, by an unclear margin given lags in vote reporting from Zeldin’s home county of Suffolk. By early Wednesday morning when most votes were counted, Hochul's margin over Zeldin was

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  • Loosely Allied with Hochul, Working Families Party Again Tries to Meet Higher Threshold to Keep Ballot Line

    Democrats rallying (photo: @PatRyanUC)


    UPDATE: On election night, results showed the Working Families Party achieve enough votes on its ballot line for Kathy Hochul to retain its political party status and ballot line in upcoming elections. In response to the New York gubernatorial election results, Director of the New York Working Families Party Sochie Nnaemeka released the following celebratory statement:

    “The Working Families Party is proud to have secured more than enough votes to maintain our ballot line and continue fighting for working New Yorkers. Our grassroots volunteers mobilized voters from

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  • Paths to Victory for Hochul, Zeldin as 2022 New York Governor's Race Concludes

    Out to vote (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    With Election Day arriving, the tightening race for governor of New York has been one of the 2022 election cycle's biggest surprises.

    In the long-time calculus of New York elections, any Republican would need stars to align across the map to win statewide, where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans two to one. Even party-unaffiliated voters are now a larger group in New York than registered Republicans. 

    The math

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  • Max Politics Podcast: High Hopes for the New York GOP

    Lee Zeldin, left, and John Burnett (photo: @IamJohnBurnett)


    November 4, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: High Hopes for the New York GOP

    John Burnett, Executive Vice Chairman of the New York State Republican Party, joined the show to discuss the GOP's high hopes for this year's elections, especially in the race for Governor where Republican U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin is running against Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul and appears within striking distance.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter @TweetBenMax.

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  • Max Politics Podcast: Understanding the Numbers Game of the New York Governor's Race

    The New York State Capitol (photo: Darren McGee/Governor's Office)


    November 3, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Understanding the Numbers Game in the Governor's Race

    Bruce Gyory, a political scientist and strategist, joined the show to lay out key numbers in the race for Governor; break down racial, ethnic, regional, and other demographic trends; and explain paths to victory for Kathy Hochul and Lee Zeldin.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter @TweetBenMax. You can listen to the

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  • Updated New York Voter Enrollment Numbers Show Playing Field for 2022 Election

    Voter registration (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    New York State added over 400,000 voters to the rolls since the last gubernatorial election in 2018, a 3% increase in total enrollment, according to the latest data released by the State Board of Elections on Tuesday.

    The 424,000 net additional voters since 2018 bring the total to 13.1 million registered voters statewide, roughly the number of those eligible to vote in this month’s major 2022 elections for Governor and other statewide positions, seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and the State Legislature, and other

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  • Latino New Yorkers Know Governor Hochul is Fighting For Us

    Gov. Hochul celebrates Puerto Rico (photo: Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)


    Every election season, Latinos have the same conversations about how political candidates engage with us. My constituents and I are used to seeing chronic underinvestment despite big promises, and our communities are used to feeling like an afterthought. It’s far too easy for us to succumb to cynicism about our political leaders’ commitment to fighting for us. 

    But that’s not the case with Governor Kathy Hochul. And she’s proven it

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