5 takeaways from Hochul's State of the State address

Plus: Lawmakers file ethics complaint against Rep. George Santos [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] [Ad: New Jersey Symphony's 2022/2023 centennial season with yo yo ma]( Sponsored Message 5 takeaways from Gov. Kathy Hochul's State of the State address [By Jon Campbell]( [Gov. Kathy Hochul walks down the center aisle of the Assembly chamber in Albany] Jon Campbell/Gothamist Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday delivered her first [State of the State address]( since making history last fall as the first woman to win a full term as New York's governor. Here are five key highlights from the speech: 1. Automatic minimum wage increases If Hochul has her way, New York’s minimum wage would no longer be subject to the whims of governors and state lawmakers. Hochul’s proposal would link the wage to the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast region. If the index goes up 3% from one year to the next, so would the minimum wage. That’s a big change from how things are currently done, with lawmakers setting the wage in state law. The last time it was changed was 2016, when then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo and lawmakers approved a three-tiered, multi-year increase that saw the hourly rate rise to its current $15 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County. 2. Changes to NY’s bail laws (again) Hochul wants to make another round of changes to the state’s bail laws, which prevent judges from imposing bail on a defendant before trial in most misdemeanor and non-violent felony cases. In cases that remain eligible for bail, Hochul says she wants to remove a clause that still requires judges to implement the "least restrictive" measures to ensure a defendant returns to court. That clause, she says, has led to confusion among judges who have released defendants they otherwise may have been able to keep jailed before trial. 3. A plan to create 800,000 new housing units over the next decade As part of Hochul's proposed New York Housing Compact, every town, city and village in the state would receive [a target number of new homes to create]( over a three-year period — 3% for those within the MTA service area, and 1% for those outside it. If a municipality doesn’t meet its goal, the state would step in to fast-track the approval process for certain multi-family developments, provided they meet certain criteria, including a minimum number of affordable units. 4. Support for the MTA, but no details on revenue Hochul pledged to "secure the MTA’s future," as the transit authority faces a $600 million budget shortfall caused in large part by ridership levels that haven’t recovered from the pandemic. She did not, however, provide specifics on how she'll find new revenue streams for the MTA, suggesting that they may come when she lays out her state budget proposal later this month. Hochul did include other transit-related proposals, including a plan to let New York City lower its own speed limits without state approval. 5. Measures to protect access to abortion, contraception Hochul's new plan would allow pharmacists to prescribe hormonal contraception, essentially allowing for over-the-counter access. She also pledged to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for reproductive health providers, and well as bolster access to medication abortions on SUNY and CUNY campuses across the state. [Read more from our State of the State recap here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- [Ad: New Jersey Symphony's 2022/2023 centennial season with music director xian zhang]( Sponsored Message --------------------------------------------------------------- More political headlines from today: [Rep. George Santos walks down a hallway alone] [Two New York lawmakers file ethics complaint against Rep. George Santos]( Democratic Reps. Ritchie Torres and Daniel Goldman allege that Santos, a newly-sworn-in Republican, submitted late and unverified financial disclosure forms. [nurses on strike in an image on the left; a close-up of Gov. Hochul on the right] [Amid nursing strike, labor unions have Hochul on the defensive]( Labor leaders, who helped deliver Hochul a narrow win in last year's gubernatorial race, are disappointed that she hasn't thrown more support behind the nurses striking for better pay and more staffing. [voters casting ballots at the Brooklyn Museum] [Ranked-choice voting returns for 2023 Council primary elections]( The 2023 election cycle in New York City will include races for all 51 members of the City Council, beginning with ranked-choice primary contests in June. [Gov. Phil Murphy delivering a speech] [Murphy's State of the State to highlight progress in New Jersey despite dysfunction in D.C.]( Political observers are looking for signs that Gov. Phil Murphy is speaking to a national audience, as he’s frequently discussed as a potential Democratic presidential candidate if President Joe Biden doesn't run again in 2024. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- [Ad: New Jersey Symphony's 2022/2023 centennial season with yo yo ma]( Sponsored Message [the logo for the New Yorker Radio Hour] [Bob Woodward on his Trump tapes]( The veteran journalist shares excerpts from his recorded calls with then-President Donald Trump, including moments where he tried coaching the commander in chief on how to respond to the COVID crisis. [LISTEN]( Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. 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