Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2023 priorities include bail reform fix, housing crisis.

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s State of the Union address, delivered Tuesday, outlined her top priorities on Tuesday, which will serve as her top priorities for this session and kick off her four-year term.

They include:

Pledge

A third time charm when it comes to editing the state’s controversial bail reform law. Hochul said she wants to free judges by removing the standard of “least restrictive” means they must consult when it comes to returning defendants charged with felonies to court. This is a partial victory for law enforcement, judges and Mayor Eric Adams, who have advocated giving judges more leeway when it comes to setting bail. However, Hochul is silent on adding additional bail crimes to the state’s list — omitting the decision for New York City’s rampant shoplifting scourge.

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Frame

Hochul wants to build up to 800,000 new housing units across the state, with a focus on Long Island, over the next 10 years to address a growing affordability challenge. She wants to lift existing bans on apartment buildings and help eliminate red tape in the notoriously slow zoning process, with a focus on areas close to MTA subways and rail lines.

mental health

It is planned to invest $1 billion in mental health care in the form of 1,000 inpatient psychiatric hospital beds and 3,500 new units of supportive housing for the mentally ill. The move could help New York City counter rising crime and homelessness, along with proposed policy changes that Hochul says will ensure her plans go ahead.

Wednesday

All new construction must be sustainable: by 2025, the goal is to ban in-situ burning of fossil fuels for small buildings, and by 2028 for larger ones.

Minimal salary

The Governor introduced a proposal to raise the minimum wage and tie future increases to inflation, noting that the move would provide 900,000 minimum wage workers, most of whom are women and people of color, are a lifeline.