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For Immediate Release: January 14, 2025
Media Contact: Lisa Thomas, lisa@alignny.org, (347) 415-6431

ALIGN on the 2025 State of the State: The Existential Crises of Our Time
Won’t Be Solved with Inaction and a $300 Check

New York, NY – In response to Governor Hochul’s 2025 State of the State address, ALIGN released the following statement:

“Today, the Governor cited LA’s deadly fires, reminding us ‘what the future will hold if we sacrifice mother nature on the altar of profit.’ But to safeguard our state from worsening climate catastrophes, she’s offering nothing but delays — stalling New York’s  cap-trade-and-invest program which we urgently need to fund climate action, reduce emissions, make clean energy more accessible, and protect our communities. 

Similarly, Hochul named the ever-present struggles of inflation, sky-high rents, and wages that don’t keep up. But instead of giving workers from Buffalo to Hempstead sufficient wages that allow them to raise families and thrive, Hochul left us with a one-time inflation refund check, a paltry $15.50 minimum wage upstate, and no plan to ensure all New York workers can make ends meet. 

We were encouraged to see progress on Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) for SUNY, which we’ve advocated for through the Upgrade NY Collaborative, as well as an increase to the child tax credit. But the existential crises of our time won’t be solved with more delays and temporary fixes. If Governor Hochul really wants to build a green New York that’s affordable for everyone, she needs to limit corporate power, invest in good green careers, raise the wage, guarantee universal childcare, and deliver climate justice before it’s too late. We look forward to working with the legislature and the administration to make our state a sustainable home for all New Yorkers,” said Theodore A. Moore, ALIGN Executive Director. 

About ALIGN
ALIGN (The Alliance for a Greater New York) brings together labor, climate, and community organizations for a more just, sustainable New York. Working at the intersection of economic and climate justice, ALIGN builds coalitions with those most impacted and uplifts worker and community voices to fight for dignity in the workplace and a just path to a renewable energy economy for all. 

Read more about ALIGN’s 2025 Agenda for a Green, Affordable NY