Governor Andrew Cuomo Sets Progressive Agenda

ALBANY – On January 15, Governor Cuomo delivered his annual State of the State address laying out his priorities for the year ahead.

The plan, the 2019 Justice Agenda, is an ambitious and far-reaching set of proposals to advance social and economic progress for all New Yorkers.

Cuomo said, “The time is now.

“While the federal government can’t keep the lights on and the shutdown persists, New York will continue to show the nation what responsible progressive government can achieve and deliver.”

The 2019 Justice Agenda includes actions to:​

End our unjust and discriminatory cash bail system

Advance reproductive justice and women’s equality by passing RHA and a constitutional amendment to codify Roe v. Wade into state law, passing ERA, increasing protections against sexual harassment in the workplace, modernizing pay equity law, reducing maternal mortality and morbidity and racial disparities, and more;

Strengthen our gun laws by passing a Red Flag Law and

extending the background check waiting period to 10 days;

Protect LGBTQ rights by passing the Gender Identity and Expression Non-Discrimination Act and banning conversion therapy once and for all;

Remove corporate money from politics by closing the LLC loophole and banning corporate campaign contributions;

Make voting easier with universal vote by mail, statewide early voting, same-day voter registration, making election day a state holiday, and more;

Pass the DREAM Act and open the doors of higher education to thousands of New Yorkers;

Invest an additional $150 billion into our state’s nation-leading infrastructure program;

Launch the Green New Deal — a nation-leading clean energy and jobs agenda that will combat climate change and put the state on a path to carbon neutrality;

Expand protections for public-sector union members;

Codify key ACA provisions into law, including coverage for pre-existing conditions;

Invest an additional $2.5 billion in clean water infrastructure to ensure the quality of our drinking water for generations to come;

Legalize the adult use (21+) of marijuana and reduce the impacts of criminalization that affect communities of color;

Achieve economic justice by continuing the phase-in of middle class tax cuts, extending the millionaire’s tax, and making the highly successful property tax cap permanent.

Cuomo concluded, “While extreme conservatives in Washington govern by division and dysfunction, New York State will raise the beacon of progress and take action to make a real difference in people’s lives.”

The governor vowed to deliver on the most progressive and productive agenda in the state’s history.