Covering the 2026 State of the State

Liv Veazey

After an ICE officer shot and killed a 37-year-old mother and US citizen in Minneapolis on Wednesday, state lawmakers appeared newly galvanized to pass state sanctuary protections. “This is a break-the-glass and pull-the-lever moment, people,” Michael Gianaris said at a rally in New York City.

Hochul condemned the killing as an “entirely foreseeable tragedy.” She said her State of the State address would include a proposal to give “New Yorkers who’ve had their constitutional rights denied by an ICE agent … a way to get recourse against those individuals,” potentially indicating support for a state Civil Rights Act amendment.

But it remains to be seen whether Hochul will throw her support behind the many other pieces of immigration-related legislation coming down the pipe in this year’s session.

Perhaps the most anticipated is the New York for All Act, which would prohibit state and local resources from being used for federal immigration enforcement, among other sanctuary provisions. The bill has languished in the legislative houses for four years without a vote, but last week, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins came out in strong support of it. Another bill, Dignity Not Detention, would ban state prisons and county jails as well as private companies from contracting with ICE.

Hochul has thus far refused to take a stance on either bill. Last year, as ICE mounted a massive mobilization across the country, Hochul’s position on collaboration was varied; she emphasized that the state will collaborate with federal immigration agents to pursue criminals, but expressed outrage over workplace raids and the practice of federal agents wearing masks.

The other major focus will be on proposals to bolster immigration legal services and establish a right to counsel for people in immigration court, which would be the first in the country.

Anything else I should be looking out for? Reach out to: liv@nysfocus.com.

Chris Bragg

Whether Hochul agrees to hike taxes during an election year will be among the most closely watched questions this legislative session.

Hochul has flatly rejected income tax hikes, but has reportedly considered raising corporate taxes. This week, standing alongside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, she announced a multibillion dollar child care investment plan. Mamdani had proposed tax hikes to pay for the plans, but Hochul, aided by higher-than-expected revenue from Wall Street bonuses, plans to cover the cost with existing state funds.

That would effectively kick the can down the road. Asked how she would sustain the program long-term, Hochul has pointed to uncertainties including the program’s long-term cost and the scale of federal funding cuts. “For me to project three and four years down the road is asking quite a bit,” she said.

The usual suspects have staked out their positions. To permanently support the child plan and other programs, progressive groups are pushing for a package of income, corporate, capital gains, and inheritance taxes. The fiscally conservative Citizens Budget Commission has advised against tax hikes and has instead proposed reducing aid to wealthy school districts and trimming subsidies, such as the film tax credit.

Let me know what else you’d like me to keep an eye on: cbragg@nysfocus.com.

Melissa Manno

Child care may be the biggest-ticket item in this year’s budget. At a rally on Thursday, Hochul committed to working alongside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to build “a concrete multiyear roadmap that will ultimately deliver universal child care for every single New York family statewide.”

Under the multibillion-dollar plan, Hochul said the state would fully fund the first two years of free child care for two-year-olds in New York City and invest $470 million to strengthen universal pre-K statewide, ensuring access for every four-year-old by 2028. Her plan would also pilot new daycare programs and pour $1.2 billion more into the state’s child care voucher program, which had stopped enrolling new applicants in many counties due to a funding shortfall.

How does the state plan to foot the bill? Hochul said it would be funded through “existing state revenues,” but offered no additional details on its long-term funding.

In this year’s State of the State, I’ll be looking for more information on the sweeping investment. I’ll also be following any changes to Foundation Aid, New York’s main school funding mechanism. Last year, lawmakers updated the decades-old formula with a new poverty metric and extra support for English language learners, but some advocates are calling for more revisions to better support students with disabilities and those experiencing homelessness.

Earlier this week, Hochul introduced proposals for child online safety and teen mental health training. With education accounting for the second-largest portion of state spending, the governor’s legislative agenda could also include investments in the “Back to Basics” reading initiative and efforts to build distraction-free learning environments.

What else should I watch for during the state budget negotiations? Let me know: melissa@nysfocus.com.

Colin Kinniburgh

Everyone agrees energy bills are too high. But who’s to blame? And what is to be done about it?

These questions promise to be at the center of climate debates in New York this year, as fights over data centers, power plants, and the utility business model all heat up.

Hochul has already staked out her side, increasingly making the case that climate policies are contributing to rising costs and need rethinking. In her last State of the State, the governor quietly shelved what was expected to be her signature policy to achieve the state’s emissions targets: a carbon pricing program known as cap and invest. That set the stage for an escalating fight over the state’s climate and energy agenda, as Hochul went on to reverse course on one green policy after another.

How much further is she willing to go? Will she attempt a wholesale rewrite of the state’s climate law? Will she try some lighter tinkering? Or will she continue punting on the issue, focusing on other priorities while climate fights wend their way through the courts?

Any overt move to walk back the climate law is sure to meet stiff resistance from green groups. Hochul already tried to water down the law with a back-door budget maneuver in 2023, but had to beat a hasty retreat after advocates overwhelmingly rejected it. This year, the political terrain is different. But are enough Democrats beginning to doubt the climate law to attempt a major overhaul in an election year? Tuesday could give us a first answer.

What else should I be looking out for? Let me know at colin@nysfocus.com.

Jie Jenny Zou

In 2025, the Trump administration delivered on its promise to overhaul the social safety net, slashing billions in funding to programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This year, the state will have to confront that new reality.

Will Hochul accept those cuts, which may result in hundreds of thousands New Yorkers losing their health care and food stamps? Or will she carve out an alternative path that leverages the state’s wealthy tax base?

So far, Hochul has favored a wait-and-see approach and has emphasized that no state — even one as wealthy as New York — can offset massive federal cuts. Last year, Hochul blocked efforts by state lawmakers to preemptively shore up the state’s two nutritional programs ahead of anticipated federal cuts to SNAP benefits. She was also slow to act when SNAP benefits dried up during November’s government shutdown. Anti-hunger advocates are again calling for bumps to the same feeding programs in this year’s budget.

It’s also unclear what will become of the Essential Plan, a cornerstone of the state’s Medicaid program which covers 1.7 million residents but faces a funding cliff early this year.

More disruptions are likely in store for the state’s social services sector. Just last week, the Trump administration froze several federal grants to five states, including New York, making unsubstantiated claims of “widespread fraud.” The freeze will affect a variety of programs, including cash assistance for needy families, child care, and senior centers. Will Hochul’s wait-and-see approach continue into 2026?

Are you planning to tune in on Tuesday? Let me know what you’ve got your eyes on jenny@nysfocus.com.