1. Governor Hochul’s Priorities
Governor Hochul has unveiled several policy priorities that she intends to include in the Executive Budget:
- An “inflation refund” that would send a $500 check to families making less than $300,000 per year and a $300 check to individuals making less than $150,000.
- An increase to the Child Tax Credit – up to $1,000 per child under age four and up to $500 per child age four through 16. This is an increase from the current maximum of $330 per child.
- $110 million to build new child care facilities and repair existing sites.
- $100 million to spur starter home construction and assist first-time homebuyers with down payments.
- Providing free school breakfast and lunch to all K-12 students.
CSEA will be watching closely as Governor Hochul unveils additional proposals prior to her 2025 State of the State address on January 14.
2. Legislative Session Begins
The 2025 New York State Legislative Session kicked off this week on Wednesday, January 8. Andrea Stewart-Cousins was re-elected to Majority Leader of the State Senate, while Carl Heastie was re-elected to Speaker of the State Assembly. In their opening day speeches, both leaders highlighted the need to focus on affordability in the 2025 legislative session.
3. Social Security Fairness Act
President Biden has signed the “Social Security Fairness Act” into law. The new law repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, which were laws that reduced Social Security payments to certain public sector retirees and spouses.
The reductions took place if a person worked for a non-social security covered employer, including certain state and local government employers, and also received a pension from their public sector job.
According to New York State Comptroller DiNapoli’s office, no members of the State Employee Retirement System are affected by these provisions. However, this is still a major win for other union members across the country who are impacted by these provisions.
4. Next Week
The State Legislature will meet on Monday and Tuesday. Governor Hochul’s 2025 State of the State address will take place on Tuesday, January 14 at 1:00 PM.
5. CSEA Legislative Toolkit
We’re encouraging members to get the word out about our legislative successes. Click the icons below for informational documents that you can print, share, and post on social media to spread the news. You can also check out the summary of CSEA’s work during the 2023-2024 legislative session.
Tier 6 Reform: |
Updating Civil Service Exams: |
Counting Provisional Time Towards Promotions: |
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Virtual Training for CPS Workers: | Minimum Age & Education Requirements for Exams: |
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