Gov. Kathy Hochul made a stop Wednesday in Rochester as part of a tour meant to rally support for her proposed New York state budget.
Hochul’s stop at the Edgerton R-Center on Backus Street was her second of the day; she had made an earlier appearance at a rally in Erie County. The Rochester stop was followed by one in Onondaga County.
The stops were meant to pull together supporters of her budget initiatives, including renewable energy, affordability, the push for universal child care, and a $300 million boon to development projects in Monroe County.
“Budget time means we need to roll up our sleeves and put together a blueprint for the future, a statement of our priorities, and I have made my priorities in this budget crystal clear,” Hochul said. “I know who I’m fighting for, and I'm fighting for families like yours and focusing with a laser focus on affordability.”
The deadline for lawmakers to approve the state budget is April 1. But with disagreements between Hochul and lawmakers over a number of policy issues, it's seen as unlikely this year's budget will be on time.
Hochul unveiled her budget proposal in late January. It includes measures such as a $1.7 billion boost to child care funding, a $340 million investment in state parks infrastructure, and $30 million for tariff relief for farmers, among other measures.
The proposed Rochester-Monroe Transformation initiative would offer $300 million to Rochester. Of that, $75 million would be earmarked for the development of High Falls State Park.
“Gov. Kathy Hochul has done more for upstate New York, probably, than any governor since Gov. DeWitt Clinton made those investments in the Erie Canal in 1817,” said Rochester Mayor Malik Evans. “That's a long time. That's a long time.”
