Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York proposed slashing the state’s income tax for most residents as part of a sweeping populist agenda that she outlined in her State of the State address on Tuesday.
The speech revolved around a series of proposals, which Ms. Hochul has called her “affordability agenda,” designed to court struggling New Yorkers who voiced their frustration in November and weakened the Democratic Party’s grip on the state.
The tax cut, according to a briefing book released in conjunction with her speech, would be given to those who earn up to $323,000 per year for joint filers, or 77 percent of the state’s taxpayers. The move would “deliver over $1 billion in tax relief to more than 8.3 million taxpayers,” according to the briefing material.
Ms. Hochul also intends to cut taxes for parents, make school lunch free and give millions of New Yorkers rebates of up to $500 depending on their income.
The governor, as she did last year, also focused on crime, especially in New York City, where a number of violent incidents in the subway have drawn attention to rider safety. Ms. Hochul wants to fund more lights and barriers on platforms, along with deploying more law enforcement officers on trains.
She vowed to place a uniformed police officer on every overnight subway train and on platforms, adding that she would work with Mayor Eric Adams, who was in attendance, to make sure the funding was in place within six months. The subway, she said, cannot be a “rolling homeless shelter.”
“More police where they’re needed, safety infrastructure, and critical interventions to help the homeless and mentally ill get the help they need instead of languishing on trains and frightening commuters,” she said.
It was not immediately apparent how many of these proposed programs would be enacted or funded. But it was clear that the re-election of Donald J. Trump had been on her mind as she crafted the address.
She highlighted proposals to protect the identities of doctors who prescribe anti-abortion drugs and add more state troopers to patrol the northern border. Expectant mothers would also qualify for a $100 monthly benefit during pregnancy; mothers on public assistance would receive an additional $1,200 when their child is born.
The governor, however, seemed to shy away from adopting the kind of “resistance” fervor that characterized responses to Mr. Trump’s first inauguration in 2017. Neither Mr. Trump nor his inauguration came up in the address, and Ms. Hochul’s reluctance to mention the change, combined with her push on affordability, may reflect the precariousness of her own political future. Her popularity has plummeted in recent years, and rivals from both parties appear to be preparing to challenge her in 2026.
One potential Republican candidate, Representative Mike Lawler, who represents parts of the Hudson Valley, stood alongside Republicans from the State Legislature Tuesday morning and criticized the governor on a litany of issues, including congestion pricing, which he said only put more financial strain on New York commuters.
“She is a feckless and failed governor who needs to be replaced in 2026,” Mr. Lawler said, later adding that her speech on Tuesday “isn’t about working across the aisle to make New York a better, more affordable, safer place to live.”
Last month, Siena College released a poll that found that just 33 percent of voters wanted Ms. Hochul re-elected and about 39 percent had a favorable view of her. The poll also showed that about 43 percent of New York voters thought lowering the cost of living should be the Legislature’s top priority this year. Creating more affordable housing was also high on the list of priorities.
Ms. Hochul has seemed to tailor some of her State of the State proposals to those voter concerns. Her proposed “inflation refund” program would route roughly $3 billion in excess sales tax revenue directly to New Yorkers.
And Ms. Hochul’s proposed expansion of the state’s child tax credit would more than double what some families currently receive. In recent years, New York’s poorest families have typically received up to $330 per child. If the plan were enacted, eligible families could get tax credits of up to $1,000 per child under the age of 4. Families with children ages 4 to 16 could get credits of up to $500 per child.
The governor seized on the populist theme by quoting a line from Jimmy McMillan, who ran long-shot candidacies for governor and mayor as the founder of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party.
“I’m not the first one to say this, but the rent is too damn high,” Ms. Hochul. (The governor also name-checked the Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, quoted the hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, and mentioned the Spam sandwiches of her childhood.)
Before the speech, the Erie County executive, Mark C. Poloncarz, applauded Ms. Hochul’s agenda but said she would have to keep banging the drum for it to sink in.
“One of the things that you can’t do is make these big announcements, and then that’s it,” he said. “People want to see and know their elected officials. They want to know more than you’re just investing in affordability issues, but that you understand their issues in their communities.”
Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission, a watchdog group, urged caution about embracing costly programs without identifying how to pay for them.
“While proposals like an expanded child tax credit and middle-class tax cuts can improve New Yorkers’ lives, the state cannot afford them in the long run unless it restrains spending elsewhere,” Mr. Rein said in a statement.
The proposed tax cuts and refunds come as the state contemplates how to plug a multibillion-dollar funding hole for infrastructure improvements to public transit. Last month, Carl E. Heastie, the Assembly speaker, and Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the Senate majority leader, rejected the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s capital proposal, citing in part the plan’s $33 billion deficit.
“Everything will have to be on the table,” Ms. Stewart-Cousins said when asked on Monday if new taxes to fund regional transit were under consideration.
Ms. Hochul said in papers accompanying the speech that there will need to be “new revenue sources” and that she wants “a balanced mix of federal, state, city and M.T.A. contributions in line with historical practice.”
In the speech, Ms. Hochul pitched her desire for transportation improvements as a means to shorten commutes for suburban riders. The focus on the suburbs appeared directly tied to her re-election prospects.
“If we come up short, the future of our transit system and the economic strength of our state could be jeopardized,” she said.
The governor also proposed loosening the standards for involuntary commitment and expanding laws relating to court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment for people with mental illness. The goal, she said, is to help people who do not “possess the mental capacity to care for themselves, such as refusing help with the basics: clothing, food, shelter, medical care.”
“There is nothing compassionate about letting people put themselves or others at risk,” Ms. Hochul said.
Mr. Heastie, who supports these changes, said last week that there would not be unanimity among his Democratic caucus regarding how far the state should go on “pushing people’s civil rights.”
For certain members, he said, “that is the big question.”
Mr. Adams has been a major proponent of the changes, saying they will go a long way toward addressing some of the perceived disorder on the trains and will help vulnerable people. He applauded her remarks — particularly the focus on crime on the subways — and said “we just value the same things.”
Jay Root and Maya King contributed reporting.
