Legislative Alert: January 17, 2025
President's Message
Governor Hochul's State of the State Addresses Many Priorities of Working Families
Governor Hochul’s 2025 State of the State address touched on many issues that revolve around affordability for working families living in New York State. New York’s tax policy is one way that the Governor proposes to help New York's families. The governor proposes a tax cut for middle-income New Yorkers in the form of a rebate of up to $500 for married couples.
We strongly encourage revamping our tax system to restore fairness, affordability, and reliability of services that our state, local governments, and schools provide. This includes support for increasing the brackets for those making over $5 million and $25 million in annual earnings. New York State offers tremendous opportunities that allow some individuals to earn extremely high incomes, but we must ensure that every citizen has those same opportunities.
Modest increases in top tax rates will help fund vital public services, strengthen our communities, help develop affordable housing, and assist with childcare and school district aid. Stable and fair revenue will also ensure the state has resources available if federal budget cuts target services in New York or other state budget issues develop down the road.
Governor Hochul also touted several other important initiatives, such as increased access and stabilization of childcare services, improving access to higher education, addressing public safety with a focus on improving mental health services, and addressing our infrastructure needs. The Governor referenced a new artificial intelligence (AI) “upskilling program” for state workers and changes to the WARN Act regarding employers that implement AI so we can better monitor and respond to job impacts caused by AI.
Next week, the Governor will release her executive budget proposal, which will include the details of these and many other proposals, as well as funding levels for the programs and services that we all support and rely on. As always, the NYS AFL-CIO will work with its affiliates to let our elected officials know the state budget’s impact on working families.
Mario Cilento, President
Upcoming Meeting
LABOR LOBBYISTS MEETING
Monday, January 27, 2025, 1:00 p.m.
This meeting will be located at the Albany office of the NYS AFL-CIO,
100 South Swan St. Albany, NY.
Lunch will be served.
This meeting is for labor representatives only.
Issue of the Week
Protect Workers from Negative Job Impact and Labor Relations Effects of Artificial Intelligence
The proliferation of unregulated artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace has created unprecedented challenges for workers and the future in addition to many other environmental, energy usage, privacy, personal, and financial data security and human rights concerns. The use of AI has changed the way work is performed. Unlike many other technologic advances, AI will affect every sector of the economy, from tech and health care to manufacturing and construction, including professional and blue-collar work in the public and private sectors. It has the potential to eliminate countless jobs, and has already disrupted labor relations on many fronts.
The New York State AFL-CIO supports ensuring that New York is a leader in the development of AI and that its benefits are maximized, but we cannot do that haphazardly. All the concerns above must be considered to ensure AI development is as methodical and responsible as possible particularly when the taxpayers fund and/or facilitate this development.