Governor Hochul Prioritizes Increasing Public Safety in 2024 State of the State

By Yehudit Garmaise

Public safety topped Governor Kathy Hochul’s list of priorities when she presented her 2024 State of the State on Tuesday in New York’s Assembly Chamber in Albany.

Among the many initiatives she proposed to increase public safety were efforts to reduce gun violence, zero in on hate crimes, and efforts to address retail theft.

The governor also committed to major transit projects, such as continuing to move full speed ahead with the design and the creation of the new Interborough Express that will serve 40 million riders per year, by providing a direct route between Brooklyn and Queens.

“Governor Hochul is MTA riders’ best friend,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “[Tuesday’s] announcement is a vote of confidence in the future of mass transit and New York City.

New Yorkers with disabilities will receive new assistance from the state this year when the state budget allows for meaningful employment and new, independent living opportunities.

Among the governor’s long-term plans to increase affordable housing in New York, Hochul announced a plan to build up to 15,000 new housing units statewide.

In addition, the governor said she will push legislation that rewards those who construct new housing and encourage office conversion projects to include affordable housing.

Although Hochul briefly mentioned that her spending plan will address the illegal migrant crisis in New York, Mayor Eric Adams was among the many New Yorkers who had hoped to hear meaningful ideas and initiatives that could help to accommodate and relocate the more than 100,000 migrants who have descended on New York City in the past year.

Nevertheless, Adams remains as supportive of Hochul as he has been since he first took office.

“Governor Hochul and I have remained true partners throughout our time in office,” the mayor said after the governor’s address. “In her State of the State, she laid out a clear vision that will make New York City a stronger, safer, and more affordable city.