Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Delivers on Long Island Affordability Initiatives, Putting Money Back in the Pockets of Working Families

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul celebrated a FY 2026 New York State Budget that delivers all of the Governor’s affordability commitments and will put thousands of dollars back in the pockets of millions of families on Long Island over the coming year and beyond. These huge wins include drastically expanding the size of New York’s Child Tax Credit, including tripling the credit for children four and under, cutting taxes for 1.2 million middle class Long Islanders, and sending inflation refund checks directly to 1.3 million households on Long Island.

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor’s Flickr page has photos of the event here.

A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

Good morning, Long Island. It is great to be back here once again. I think I was here last week — had a very nice ride; had a seat on that wonderful Long Island Rail Road. Friendly people, very clean, on time — doesn't get any better than that, right everybody? All right.

I always enjoy doing that. I was just here a few days ago meeting a family in Copaigue and sat down literally in their kitchen talking to them about their struggles and what's on their mind. They're worried about paying bills and everything else, and all the stress and what we're doing in our Budget to help alleviate that.

And there's a lot of good people out here today I want to recognize who have been on the journey, or support us, or helped us get the message out there and I want to acknowledge them now — and that is our mayor, Mayor Hobbs of the Village of Hempstead. We've been great friends, a long time. He looks forward to going swimming in the new pool, fixing up the pool. We've got some great projects we're working on together, but he really cares deeply about his community.

And I want to thank all the County Legislators from Nassau and Suffolk Counties for coming together; this is really important to bring people together and talk about successes and how we are listening to our residents and what we're doing to accomplish so much more. And I want to thank our friends in labor. Ryan Stanton, the Executive Director of Long Island Federation of Labor. Ryan, thank you.

Matty Aracich, President of the Nassau Suffolk Building Trades — thank you, Matty. Members of my administration, Kevin Law, the Chair of Empire State Development, Kevin; Richie Kessel, the Chair of the NIFA — fun job there, Richie, well done; Sammy Chu, the member of the MTA; and a lot of civic leaders. This is what Long Island is known for, really engaged residents and people who step up and serve their communities in so many different levels.

And two people you're going to be hearing from are Vanessa Reed, the President, CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island — let's give her a round of applause; Joe Salamone, the Founder and Executive Director of the Long Island Coalition Against Bullying — thank you; and, of course, our host today at Farmingdale, the new President of Farmingdale State College who took office after John Nader — we spent a lot of time with John, I look forward to deepening our relationship — Dr. Robert Prezant. So, thank you.

As I mentioned, I was sitting with the family in Copaigue and I just brought back a flashback of raising my own kids — and they're rambunctious, they're adorable — and it reminded me that I didn't have a lot of options when I was first having the babies because I couldn't find child care. I had to leave a job that I really, really loved. I'd worked hard to get it, but it's just that time in a life, there were not many options and certainly nothing that was affordable.

I just want to tell people that we have worked really hard on people's struggles and knowing what they're up against. And so, back in January when I announced my State of the State address, I made a simple declaration that is part of my philosophy, which is, “Your family is my fight,” because you need a champion — you need someone who's lived the experience, who knows what it's like to push that shopping card in a big box door and load it up with diapers, and toilet paper, and paper towels, and the formula, and then standing there in the checkout and just saying, “I can't believe it," so then I whip out all my coupons and try to drive the cost down a little bit more.

But, I've lived that experience. And so, as I see what families are going through right now, I just want to use everything I can at my disposal and my power to be able to acknowledge it, but also do something about it, do something about it — and I really meant that. And right now, there are so many New Yorkers who just want to have more money in their pockets.

It was that simple. I said to my team, “We have to put more money back in people's pockets,” because we also hear their complaints and their concerns, but also two things: affordability, but also making our communities safer. And Long Island is a wonderful place to raise families. I know that so well from talking to so many people but parents, to still have that sense of anxiety — the kids go off to school, or what happens in the neighborhood, or you sometimes have people suffering from severe mental illness in our downtowns and you're not sure. They're not getting the help they need, but are they all of a sudden going to have an episode and maybe act in a way that could harm you or your kids?

This is what gets a parent this sense of “I've got to protect my kids” and they just need compassionate care and they haven't been getting it. But I also want to make sure that our kids can focus in school and not be distracted the way they have been, and rediscover the joy of interacting with their peers.

And, so, all these are my belief, my philosophy on what families deserve. And so we passed a Budget that addresses everything I just said — everything — and $5,000 back in people's pockets is what the collective result is; $5,000. First of all, we start with a middle class tax cut, the lowest it's been in over 70 years — that's coming our way. It's going to help over 8 million New Yorkers. It's about $168 million in annual relief; 1.2 million Long Islanders are going to benefit from that, so they're going to be seeing that back in their pockets. Eighty percent of Long Islanders will be able to benefit; we got that done.

But also the inflation rebate — you know what this is? It means it's acknowledging that we collected more in sales tax over the last few years. Why? Because you paid more for everything. It wasn't your fault. Prices were up: the backpacks, the sneakers, everything you bought, and that meant that we collected more money at the State level.

Now there are people who said, “Keep it. Keep it. Don't give it back.” I said, “But it's their money. It's the people's money. They paid more.” So I said, “Let's have an inflation rebate,” and we're going to put over $400 back in families’ pockets, and that's going to go back in the pockets of 1.3 million Long Islanders as well — $316 million.

And when I first became Governor, there was no child tax credit for children under the age of four. I was like, “Are you kidding me?” That's when they're the most expensive, right? That's when they outgrow their clothes every three months. I just bought new clothes for an expectant baby coming in July in my family, my daughter, and I said I'm going to — thank you. We're going to need newborn, zero to three, three to six, six to nine. I said, “We'll stop at six to nine and we'll see what season we're in at that point.” And so, I just know it adds up.

And I said, “We have to do better.” We are now going to have a $1,000 tax credit for children under the age of four to help struggling families — tripling the tax credit, largest in our state's history — but also for the older kids, $500 for each and every one of them to help out. So we got that done as well, and that will help 215,000 Long Island families and 355,000 children across this beautiful area.

I also said — and I raised this when I was at an event back in January here on Long Island — free lunch for kids, free breakfast. There have been government programs before, but there's a stigma associated from that, that you're that kid who's so ashamed that you can't afford to buy lunch like all the other kids. Then you're singled out. A lot of kids skip lunch. I heard that from an elected official here on Long Island who said that stigma is carried with you your whole life. You're singled out. That's not what we want to have our kids have to endure.

But also the hassle of having to pack up kids’ lunches: I remember buying all those little Lunchables, I don't think they're that healthy, but they were quick. Do they still make them anymore or did they outlaw them? Okay. Plunk it in a bag and call it lunch. I don't know. Not having to make breakfast for your kids, not having to make lunch, that's time back for parents, but also about $1,600 per child back in your pocket from not having to worry about that. We got that done as well. So that's real relief. That's real relief, and I'm excited about that. Really happy to be able to deliver for New Yorkers.

But also, safety. There’s discovery laws that changed in 2019, and yes, it was important to make some changes. We got that done. But sometimes the pendulum just swings too far in the other direction when you're correcting something that's wrong, but then it goes in the other direction. We were having so many cases that have real victims behind them who were denied justice because they were dismissed on technicalities and you would not believe the stories I heard. And 94 percent of domestic violence cases brought are dismissed. And that's often a woman going back to her environment without an order of protection and just being so vulnerable. And I said, “This cannot stay. We have to take this on.”

And it was hard. A lot of people just didn't want to touch it. They didn't want to change the status quo. Sometimes just leaving it alone is the easier path. And I never take the path, though. I just will always challenge and say, “We've got to do better.”

We also said gun violence is still very much a problem, even in our suburban areas, in our downtowns — $347 million toward eliminating gun violence. And here, I focused on this intensely for the last few years, here on Long Island — we've brought down gun violence by 50 percent on Long Island, Nassau and Suffolk counties. I think that's pretty remarkable. But we have more work to do.

$35 million to keep our houses of worship safe because there are so many hate crimes, especially against observers of religion. Whether it's the Jewish faith, Muslim faith, there's a lot of people being singled out here. And it's just wrong. But I want those institutions to be safe and have the security devices they need because we don't tolerate that in our state.

As I mentioned, we talked about mental health and people have just been languishing for so long in our trains and stations and all over. People said they had the civil rights to stay on the streets. Their civil liberties cannot be affected by saying you need care. I think that was cruel. I really do. I think it's sometimes hard to say we have to pick up someone and lift them up and get them the help they need, but we are a compassionate society. That's our responsibility to them.

Makes our communities safer, but also that individual at least has a better shot by being in a confined situation. Yes, they will not make their own decision because these are people who do not have the mental capacity to take care of their own wellbeing. That's what I'm talking about. And we're going to help them as well. So we changed the laws. Again, another tough, tough battle and we are going to do it. And I believe that this is going to make a remarkable change for these individuals, and also the sense of safety that everyone deserves to have. So we're changing the involuntary commitment laws and making sure they get the help they need. I want to thank everybody who fought for that as well.

Also, as a mom, I'm focused on what happens in the classroom very much. And since the advent of cell phones in schools — and I'm never sure how it even started, who said it was okay? When I was a kid, you couldn't sit there and play games, and it is basically the same thing. Now it's watching TikTok dance videos instead of listening to the math teacher, right? So the distractions are intense. And last year we worked with the Legislature to come up with nation-leading legislation on social media algorithms: companies that are designed to draw your child in based on their own preferences, pull them in, but it's always holding them tight and taking them off into a dark place and bombarding them all day long with distractions. An average of 250 notifications a day.

So we went after the social media companies. But I also said, “But if they don't have this cell phone in their hand all day, then they won't be distracted.” That was another tough one. I heard from everybody. “Leave it up to the school districts. It's up to them.” And I respect our school districts. I really do. Give them a lot of money too, but come on. I also heard from school superintendents and school board members and others who said, “It is just hard to be the heavy, it's hard to be that lightning rod where people are coming out after you because you made a decision that you know is right. But there's always opposition.” I said, “I'm a lightning rod, by definition.” Come on, I can handle it. Just add it to the list. And it's my job to protect kids, and I knew this was so important.

So I went around the state. I convened people from the North Country to Long Island and had these conversations and just said, “We can do better.” And the voices that meant the most to me of all were the teenagers I listened to. I'd sit in a library with a group of young women. And one girl was saying all the pressure she's under, people are mocking out what you're wearing and they're excluding you from the special gathering in the girls' restroom at that moment and you're feeling bad, they're not inviting you to the party this weekend. And this is all going on when you're supposed to be paying attention at school. Enormous pressure. And she said, “You have to save us from ourselves because we cannot put the phones down alone because we'll be ostracized.” And I said, that's all I need to hear. I can save a kid, we're there and we did it. We did it. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

We're now the largest state in the nation to have a “bell-to-bell” K-12 ban on distracting devices. Not just the smartwatches — let me tell you what one teacher told me. She said every 6-year-old in her first grade class had a smartwatch, and all day long mommy's checking in, “I miss you, honey,” little heart emojis. Cut the apron strings, we're supposed to raise not kids, but raise adults and this is part of their breaking away their independence.

It's hard for parents, I know, but I still remember sobbing my eyes out the first day of kindergarten. And I knew I would not talk to that child until the end of the day and she would figure it out on her own, and she did. And now she's gonna be a mom. And that baby will never even know that you could have had cell phones in schools. I want them banned all across this country.

So speaking of school aid, $271 million for Long Island alone there, let's give a round of applause — that's brand new. Support our teachers, giving everybody the foundation they need and make it easier. Just to have what you need. Give those kids everything. Everything. This is their chance. We can formulate adults who care about their communities. That's what education's all about. Give them that foundation.

But also we want to make it easier for people to get around on Long Island. We're increasing public transit funding by seven percent for Nassau and Suffolk Counties — $177 million combined, more reliable service. Fully funding the MTA's capital plan, $68.4 billion and on Long Island, you are tremendous beneficiaries of this. Other parts of the state can complain, but not here on Long Island because this includes $6 billion for the Long Island Railroad and a smoother, safer ride for over 600,000 Long Islanders who use it every single weekday. And last year was our strongest year ever for the Long Island Railroad.

We surpassed our record on time arrivals, the customer surveys are just so positive. This is really something that is so special and unique about this area. We broke ground on the Yaphank Station, greatly improving the commute to Brookhaven — which we promised we would do. Also $150 million to move ahead with the plans to connect Ronkonkoma Station with MacArthur Airport. That's going to be a major change.

So a few other ways — let's wrap up a few more. Want to hear a few more? You kind of like this, don't you?

We have to protect the water. This is an island — Long Island. Water is everything. Our shores, our beaches. The water that comes out of our kitchen sinks, we have to protect it. And since I've been governor, we've had over $458 million dedicated to water alone here on Long Island. Because I believe we have to protect it. But now let's talk about the South Shore.

We're moving forward as $1.7 billion for Fire Island to Montauk Point, that'll safeguard 83 miles of coastline. This is really important generations from now. People will talk about this time when we made those high investments, large investments, but we have no choice. This is God's gift to this part of our state, and we must protect it.

We're also very sensitive about the pressures on our small businesses in small towns, our beautiful communities that dot the landscape here. And each one has its own personality. I've been to so many of them and they're really dealing with this lot of stress. Do not walk into a retail shop and say the word "tariff." You'll probably evoke a heart attack.

I went back to my hometown to help my mother start a small business right out of law school. She thought I'd actually know how to do this, but they don't teach that in law school. We opened a little flower shop the weekend before Mother's Day. I walked in and saw her partner. My mother passed, and my daughter was working there when she was 13 years old. So I brought my daughter back — a very pregnant, young woman — and met her old boss and walked in and I said, "How are things going, Jeannie?"

And she says, "We get our flowers from Mexico and Canada." She says, "Everything is up 25 to 30 percent. I don't know if we're going to make it." That's been there since 1984. She says, "I don't know how we're going to survive." She is just one example of hundreds, if not thousands of businesses who are really anxious. She says, "I want to put in my Christmas order. I don't know if it's going to make it. I don't know what the cost will be. I don't know how to budget for that." She says, "It's just so hard."

I feel for these businesses. So one thing I knew we could do — businesses are picking up an additional cost because of our unemployment deficit in our fund. Our insurance fund — pandemic wiped it out. Everybody you knew lost a job and we had to help them during that time, but we really went deep into the hole and expended all the funds and had to borrow money. So now the law is that they have to pay it back before we can ever raise what people are able to get if they're on unemployment.

So I said I looked at the Budget. We did very well managing it. I've been working hard to stash money in our rainy day fund, the highest reserves our state has seen. I don't know when, it's been four percent reserves for a long time, and I got it up to 15. And it literally was a rainy day — the day I announced this — and I said, today's the rainy day.

I need to go into this fund, take money out of it, and pay down that debt. So that burden is no longer on our small businesses having to pay the extra money — hundreds of dollars per employee, they've been paying. That's my counter to the tariffs at this time. If I can help a little bit by lifting that burden, I said, “This is when they need it.” It is raining, it is storming, and we are doing that as well. So our small businesses are really grateful.

My vision was to lay out a stronger, safer, more affordable New York — a place where middle class families can thrive, where public safety is non-negotiable and where mental health is met with compassion and care; where kids can learn and flourish and develop relationships with other kids. It's not just a vision — it's what we did and we got it done. And I'm so proud to be able to deliver for the people of Long Island and all across the State of New York, and thank everyone who's been involved in this journey

Thank you very much, everyone.