On Friday, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) delivered remarks on the end of the New York State legislative session.
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00:00Drone update program to do our surveillance this summer to protect. No, that's not it wrong topic. Okay?
00:07Yeah, I know you've a lot of questions at first
00:09I want to say is we're wrapping up the legislative session
00:11I want to thank the legislature for their hard work and dedication and partnership that have allowed us to deliver some incredible
00:19Incredible accomplishments for New Yorkers during this session, you know think about just today
00:24We've had many many many
00:26Conversations and sessions about the social media bills that we passed and I look forward to signing
00:32that will protect New York families and mostly our children from these addictive algorithms and
00:38Just reminded by this is a nation leading achievement that I believe will be replicated all over America
00:43We're so very proud of that
00:44We've also taken major steps to address the issues of high cost of living and affordability here in our state
00:52Let's start with housing as we know no governor has succeeded in the last 50 years to
00:59significantly
01:00Address the housing crisis. No one even took it on it was very challenging
01:05But I think you know, I'm not afraid of a challenge and it took us yes two years to do it
01:10Starts out putting out the idea and then the execution so a lot of effort
01:15But you know and sometimes we find that issues are not immediately popular
01:20But it's still up to the leaders to push through the noise and have significant accomplishments
01:26So in that case we went after it for a second year and guess what? We got it done
01:31It's almost two billion dollars and new incentives to jumpstart new housing production
01:36also new reforms in New York City that were long overdue to help jumpstart kickstart housing and
01:43Historic tenant protections and we took on housing because it's vital that we make New York State a place
01:50people can actually afford to live and
01:53That gets me back to what we're talking about making New York more affordable for regular people not less affordable
01:59So that's why we doubled the tuition assistance program first time in decades
02:04We eliminated co-pays on insulin and New York is the first state in the nation to guaranteed paid
02:11Prenatal care for our moms and their babies and also to protect New Yorkers from medical debt
02:17So as you know the focus on affordability didn't just start with this session since I took office
02:23We raised the minimum wage and for the first time in history
02:26Tied it to inflation which is why it went up again in January
02:30And we committed billions of dollars to affordable child care for working parents
02:35And I held the line on hard-working Yorkers on income taxes
02:41So let's talk about congestion pricing
02:44Now my job is not to make it harder or more expensive for New Yorkers to live in our state
02:49Working hard make ends meet raise their families as I said in my remarks two days ago
02:56New Yorkers tell me they're just not ready right now for congestion pricing and the closer we got to the June 30th
03:04Implementation date I heard from more and more anxious New Yorkers that this would be a real hardship for them
03:12Working in middle-class families who can't afford an additional $15 a day toll when they're simply trying to go to their jobs
03:20I'm talking about teachers and first responders our firefighters police the small business owners the
03:28bodega shops the theater workers the laborers and
03:32The small business owners who are desperately afraid they'll either lose their
03:37Customers who may come in from places like New Jersey and outside, Manhattan
03:42Who are also worried about the cost being having to be pushed out of their own customers when the cost goes up from their deliveries?
03:48So bottom line is this is simply about protecting working and middle-class New Yorkers
03:55So as I talked about before I put I made the decision to put congestion pricing on pause
04:02Now I will be very clear
04:05the MTA will be taking necessary action to reflect a pause in this program and
04:11the leaders and I have a shared interest and
04:14Responsibility to ensure that the MTA and its capital program is fully funded, and I've made it clear
04:22After many many conversations, I am prepared to continue working with them from this moment on just cut off the phone
04:30To continue to avoid any disruption in the MTA capital plan
04:36It's real simple to me leaders have to be willing to do what's right regardless of the political headwinds and
04:44And stand up for the voices that are not being heard, so yes, I put congestion pricing on pause
04:52Because when it comes down to it, I'll always stand on the side of hard-working
04:58New Yorkers
05:00With that I'm happy to take any questions
05:05Governor you
05:07as recently as three weeks ago
05:09We're praising congestion pricing and and six months ago
05:13We're talking I mean in in similar terms to what you were just talking about in terms of
05:17Leader is needing to stand up the headwinds you were saying those things about congestion pricing
05:23So given all that given the financial stress that this has put the MTA under
05:29Why was the decision made now rather than?
05:35Long ago to do this and and why dump it in the legislators
05:39Legislators lap two days before they leave all well you want to get to while they're still in session number one instead of after
05:45June 30th, but let me just step back to the premise of your question
05:50Leaders sometimes need to listen more
05:52And I realize that as this state got closer, and I'm out there in the community all the time
05:58You know the neighborhood diner. I go to the three four days a week when I live in New York
06:04The people that own the restaurants and the business they tell me what's on their minds
06:08And I cannot tell you the anxiety level that is continuing to go up and up and up it wasn't out there before
06:16But I as the governor have this ability to a real pulse on what New Yorkers are thinking
06:22I've always had that 30 years of elect official
06:24So I absorbed that and I say can I really go forward right now when we thought that inflation would be lower
06:32We thought that people would feel more secure about going on the subways yes
06:37Yes, we're coming back
06:39But we can't afford a setback
06:42That's what I'm talking about so I wanted to make sure that I let people know that I'm putting this on a temporary pause
06:48Because I'm hearing from everyday New Yorkers who are just not ready for this and that's what that's my lodestar
06:54I'll always do what's best for New Yorkers
06:57Temporary pause before you said indefinitely
07:01You intend this pause to be temporary you intend to impose congestion pricing at some point
07:07This is on pause
07:09Yes, it is on pause. I don't know how to define pause other than it's a pause meaning
07:14It's not happening June 30th therefore. It's paused and
07:18I have a commitment to work with the leaders on
07:21funding in the short term to make sure that all the projects that are so important all of us because
07:26As has been noted in the media
07:29In the fall of 2023 I was called one of the best friends of the MTA because I found a path forward
07:36to put it back on a
07:38Financial stable a financially stable plan because was looking at a fiscal cliff if you recall all your coverage of this
07:46Of what I did because I knew that this was the lifeblood of the region
07:50No one can question my commitment to the MTA to making sure that we ensure that is ADA compatible compliant
07:58The elevators the signals the major projects, and I'm still so excited about
08:04Second Avenue subway the interbarrow Express. I have so many ideas
08:09But now is not the time
08:11To put it on the backs of hard-working New Yorkers who are still feeling the cost of inflation in their pocketbooks
08:18An issue that was not there even a few months ago is we thought the numbers were going to improve. That's that's why I change
08:49Well, that's why the leaders, and I have an agreement that we're going to resolve that we as you mentioned
08:56We did toss around some ideas at this point. We talked about you know here are some options
09:00I want you know we gave a lot of thought to this here are some options
09:04You may want to consider now now
09:05They are not essential right now to ensure that the bonding can go forward that the program is viable
09:11They're not essential now because when you think about it the revenues from congestion pricing
09:16Would not have really accrued until much later
09:19I mean a year from now we'd be looking at the money that was expected
09:23So that's why we don't need to take immediate action, but I thought while they're here if they want to entertain
09:29Some options I'm always about having conversations exploring every
09:34Possible way to go forward and so we have a commitment to continue moving forward between now and the beginning of session even coming back
09:41We're going to be we're talking about this, but I will tell you that no one should question my commitment
09:47Or the leaders commitment to ensuring that these projects are properly funded, so that's what we're to focus on right now
09:57Well first of all one option could have been a tax
10:02Minuscule increase on New York City's largest businesses, and I also included a tax cut for smaller businesses
10:09That was just one idea
10:10I put out there didn't have to happen
10:13But I thought it made some sense at the time people can consider that but the largest businesses instead of on their employees
10:20the people who have to drive in the nurse who works at a hospital and
10:24Who's not going to take the subway for the 2 a.m.. Shift because she's afraid
10:29Okay, there are people real people who are not necessarily rich like everyone thinks who actually have to drive cars in the
10:36The security guard at the theaters who comes in late at night and is anxious about the cost
10:42$3,600 more a year if you work five days a week, so it's a question of priorities
10:47But I will make sure that we continue focusing also congestion mitigation
10:52This is an enormous priority of mine
10:54But I also want to make an observation as someone who spent a lot of time in all five boroughs
11:02Congestion is a problem in places more than just in Manhattan
11:06You've been to Brooklyn lately
11:08Queens I mean these are places where it is tough to get around we need a smart strategy
11:13And I don't want to wait until it gets gets goes into I don't even want to wait another year
11:17why don't we start taking steps now to address the issue of congestion and
11:24I'm committed to
11:26Reducing emissions, which is why I'm leaning hard into our
11:30Electrification programs where most emissions do come from in cities, so we're working on all the above approach
11:36But to talk about it now at the end of session was well you're here anyhow
11:40Let's talk about it now, or we can come back, or we can do it in the next session. There's a lot of options available
12:00I
12:19Understand there's a lot of passion behind this I am an environmentalist I understand how important this is to people
12:27What I say to them is we're going to continue working to mitigate congestion in the city
12:33This is on a temporary pause that the
12:37Mechanics and the operations are in place
12:40Yes, they're there
12:41And I think that's one of the reasons people started getting very anxious when this started becoming very real to them
12:47That this is no longer something that's been talked about over decades
12:50I was since was talked about for decades because this is very complicated and
12:55Even the world has changed since 2019
12:58When this was first passed by my predecessor and put into law
13:03The world has changed remote work didn't exist
13:07people have options now and
13:09I can't do anything right at this time. They could also suck the vitality out of the city. We're still fighting for our comeback
13:17So it's affordability
13:19But it's also protecting our city at a time when it's almost there
13:24as I said
13:26We're coming back, but we can't afford a setback
13:36While you appoint to plurality of the board members
13:40You are not head of the MTA
13:41So by what legal authority do you have to order a pause ahead of the board voting?
13:47And are you committed to letting them independently come to their own judgment on?
13:53Whether or not a pause fulfills their fiduciary duty
13:57we've already examined all this and
14:02Well, it's not necessary for them to take action
14:07Either way because this because this is a temp this is a temp because this is a temporary pause
14:15And the MTA has agreed
14:18They will take the steps necessary
14:20To implement what I've directed
14:23The leadership of the MTA it is not necessary to go for a vote to implement this it is not necessary
14:33It's not required I assure you we have already looked into this
14:38We are in constant communication with the MTA their attorneys their their
14:44Their financial team on what is required to allow them to continue going forward and that is why we're working closely with the leaders
14:51right now to identify a
14:54subsequent
14:56Funding source that'll replace the MTA the congestion pricing during this pause. It is a pause
15:03Termination is a different dynamic that would take some action. This is a pause. That's the difference
15:13I've been communicating with him for some time now. I'm not gonna I don't not gonna give dates and times
15:18I
15:38Haven't talked to anyone about this one in a couple of days
15:42We'll find out what the assembly is looking for and continue the conversations as I mentioned. I'm in
15:48constant communication with the leaders
15:50almost hourly over the last number of days on many many issues and
15:55Just making sure some of my priorities got through like the social media bill, which I think is going to be
16:01wildly
16:02Widely appreciated by countless
16:05New Yorkers, especially the parents of young people who are being inundated with
16:10unwanted
16:12Addictive algorithms that are taking them to a very dark place
16:15So that is something that I think deserves a lot of coverage because no other state has been able to withstand
16:23The bombardment of attacks against our plan and come out standing and do it successfully and I look forward to that bill signing
16:42Two days ago, I know really upended a lot of negotiations in the time
16:47that you know is already very little
16:49a lot of those things you're talking about
16:51the legislation may not get over the finish line
16:53probably won't because it sucked up all the air out of the room
16:55so why
16:57why is that
16:59and also
17:01how do you feel like this will help
17:03Democrats in November
17:05or do you feel like if they did not put this on pause
17:07would that impact their ability
17:09to get re-elected
17:11The first question
17:13at least one of the leaders has already said
17:15that these conversations have been going on
17:17for a couple of weeks
17:19so that is not accurate to say
17:21that they found out two days before
17:23so that's for the record
17:25but also
17:27and I talked to lots of people
17:29talked to the White House
17:31talked to Washington leadership
17:33talked to elected officials
17:35all over this city
17:37in addition to
17:40people on the street
17:42and the business owners
17:44and the people in the mom and pop shop
17:46so this was not
17:48waking up one day and saying let's do this
17:50that's not how I operate
17:52I don't tell everybody who I'm meeting with all day long
17:54I don't have to have a press conference
17:56to say oh I met with this person
17:58I gather information
18:00but the voices that were most powerful to me
18:02are those who feel they're being ignored
18:04they are hurting right now
18:06and we ignore them to our detriment
18:08so politics
18:10if it's defined as
18:12listening to people
18:14meeting them where they are right now
18:16and understanding the pain they're in
18:18and the stress they're under
18:20that's how I view it
18:22my job is to listen to them
18:24independent of timing of elections
18:26the timing of this
18:28is not related to an election months away
18:30it's related to the fact that it was going to go into effect
18:32June 30th
18:34that's something I had no control over
18:37I think it takes
18:39some regulations
18:41the Attorney General's office will be in charge of some regulations
18:43so I don't know the effective date that was
18:45passed but I think it's at least
18:47a year from now
18:49let me check on that though
18:51it might have been the end of this year
18:53Governor, is there any reason
18:55that people in other parts of the states
18:57such as western New York
18:59should now be concerned that they may now be bearing the costs
19:01of the tax money
19:03to pay for the money
19:06that's now not in the capital plan
19:08because of the death of
19:10apparently Paul I should say
19:12congested pricing
19:14see that's not settled
19:16there's still a lot of areas where
19:18what I needed to emerge
19:20from these last couple of days
19:22which I have secured
19:24is the commitment of the leaders
19:26to make sure we can replace that
19:28with a different funding source
19:30there are many many ways
19:32to identify that
19:34we're not prepared to say it right now
19:36but those conversations literally started
19:38this week
19:40later today, probably later tonight
19:42and we'll go on and we'll be happy to share with everybody
19:44when that's resolved
19:46there's no assumption
19:48that that is the only path forward
19:50so that's premature
19:52Governor, I want to ask
19:54depending on the money coming from
19:56the compact between
19:58the Seneca's and the state
20:00there was a press release put out last night
20:03by the Seneca's about the negotiation
20:05what is the status of that
20:07and is there a reason to believe that
20:09that compact deal could happen anytime soon
20:11we've been working very closely together
20:13we're in an extended period of time
20:15there is an extension that we signed together
20:17I met with the leadership of the Seneca's
20:19several times
20:21including here and in western New York
20:23my team is very engaged
20:25with them
20:27and we look forward to telling you when it's all resolved
20:29Governor
20:32I mean this with due respect
20:34but how stupid do you think
20:36New Yorkers have to be
20:38to believe that this congestion pricing decision
20:40wasn't politically motivated
20:42I will never think that the voters
20:44and constituents of New York are stupid
20:46those are your words, never mind
20:48all I know is I encourage you to go to the next
20:50diner with me and I'll probably be there
20:52Monday morning, sit with me
20:54and watch the people come over and thank me
20:56that's all I need to know
20:58that is all I need to know
21:00and if they were saying we love the idea
21:02of paying more money to come into this diner
21:04because I live outside in another borough
21:06and I'm not taking the subway today
21:08I haven't heard anyone say that
21:10I've not heard a single small business owner
21:12say I'm really looking forward to my New Jersey
21:16my New Jersey customers
21:18the hardware store that was featured in the news
21:20just a couple days ago, the owner
21:22who says it's going to increase the cost
21:24of deliveries, I'm going to have to pass it on
21:26to my constituents and my New Jersey
21:29customers are already saying they're not going to come
21:31that's real stress and real pain
21:33and that is all that matters to me
21:43I'm not going to tell you
21:45I'll invite you to one, I'll take you to one with me
21:49oh yeah
21:51Comfort Diner
21:53used to be my favorite
21:55and then I now go to the Townhouse Diner
21:58there's also one up on 42nd
22:00a little fancier than Pershing Square
22:02I only consider that a diner
22:04but that owner at Pershing Square Cafe
22:06is very happy
22:10I was with my husband there
22:12probably Wednesday morning
22:27you