We need a New York State budget that: permanently funds universal child care, including fair wages for child and home care workers; makes sure no one loses health insurance; and keeps safety net hospitals open.  

But instead of taxing the rich to fund universal, high-quality childcare and home care for disabled and older New Yorkers, and to cover Trump’s devastating Medicaid cuts, Governor Hochul is taking money from home care. She has refused to ask the wealthy to pay their fair share. Instead, she is forcing home care workers, disabled New Yorkers, older adults, and families with young children to shoulder the burden, using federal cuts as the excuse. 

New York has enough money to fund all the care our state needs, including free, full-day, year-round child care and accessible, well-paid home care — IF billionaires and the major corporations share the wealth. 
 

2026 Policy Demands:

• Progressive State Income Tax Bill (S1622/A1281 - Jackson, Meeks): Adds new tax brackets so that New Yorkers in the top 5% are taxed fairly based on what they earn.
• Corporate Tax on the Most Profitable Corporations (S953/A1971 - Kelles, Shrestha): Increases the tax rate on  corporations making over $2.5 million in profit annually to ensure the wealthiest companies pay their share.
• "Fair Share Act" (S8577/A8953 - Liu, Souffrant Forest): Adds a 2% surcharge on income over $1 million.
• Universal Childcare Act (S3415A/A5899 - Brisport, Hevesi): Guarantees free, full day, full year childcare for every child in New York State ages six weeks to five years, with $1.2 billion permanent workforce compensation fund to support  living wages for workers and no means testing.
• Invest in State healthcare to ensure no one is dropped from coverage due to the impacts of HR1 on Medicaid and the Essential Plan.