Hochul’s Plan for New York Depends on Courting Wary Lawmakers

  • A promise of collegiality after years of internecine conflict
  • Governor’s buffet of ideas is digestible and not daunting
Kathy Hochul delivers her first State of the State address at the state Capitol in Albany on Jan. 5.Photographer: Hans Pennink/Pool/AP Photo
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In her first formal policy address since taking office almost five months ago, Governor Kathy Hochul promised a “whole new era” for New York’s government. To bring it about, she’ll have to woo lawmakers bruised by years of conflict.

Hochul pledged to pursue “shared success” after more than a decade of internecine Democratic warfare between her predecessor, Andrew Cuomo, and the legislature. In a 40-minute speech Wednesday and a 237-page briefing book, she offered a buffet of ideas to jump-start the economy, reform government and bolster a health-care system battered by two years of fighting a pandemic.