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New York Governor Kathy Hochul touts proposals in childcare investments ahead of budget announcement

New York Governor Kathy Hochul in Troy at a childcare center on Wednesday, January 15th.
Samantha Simmons
New York Governor Kathy Hochul in Troy at a childcare center on Wednesday, January 15th.

A day after her State of the State address focused on affordability, New York Governor Kathy Hochul was in Troy Wednesday to promote increases in childcare subsidies.

Hochul wants to increase the Child Tax Credit to $1,000 for kids under 4 and $500 for kids ages 4 to 16. She’s also proposed lowering middle class taxes and issuing tax rebate checks to most New Yorkers.

Speaking with reporters after visiting a childcare center, Hochul says the state will not have to dip into reserves to cover the tax cuts.

“I have managed our budget over the last three years to ensure that we went from 4% reserves to over 15% so we're ready for a rainy day, and it's not raining,” Hochul said. “I'm saving that for a difficult economic downturn.”

Hochul will present her state budget next week.

Samantha joined the WAMC staff in 2023 after graduating from the University at Albany. She covers the City of Troy and Rensselaer County at large. Outside of reporting, she hosts WAMC's Weekend Edition and Midday Magazine.

She can be reached by phone at (518)-465-5233 Ext. 211 or by email at ssimmons@wamc.org.
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