In response to the release of Governor Hochul’s executive budget proposal for fiscal 2027, the Empire Center issued the following comment:

“It should go without saying that rejecting further tax hikes – in what’s already the most heavily taxed state in the country – was the right thing for Governor Hochul to do.

“Her proposals to streamline the regulatory process for housing construction and cracking down on auto insurance fraud are also welcome ideas that would make the state more affordable.

“Unfortunately, her plan would also continue a pattern of excessive spending growth, especially an 11.5 percent increase in Medicaid. This being an election year, the state legislators will almost certainly push to hike taxes and increase spending even more. Taxpayers can only hope that the governor imposes a modicum of discipline.”

–Bill Hammond, senior fellow

The Empire Center, based in Albany, is an independent, not-for-profit, non-partisan think tank dedicated to promoting policies that can make New York a better place to live, work and raise a family.

You may also like

Empire Center Report Makes the Case Against Further Tax Hikes

Adding to New York's already high tax burden would be both unnecessary and dangerous for the state's economy, according to a new report from the Empire Center. Titled "Seven Reasons Read More

Empire Center Warns of Sharp Increase in New York Electricity Prices

New York households pay some of the highest electricity prices in the nation, raising affordability concerns, according to the Empire Center's and the U.S. Energy Information Administration . Read More

Empire Center Experts React to the 2026 State of the State

In response to Governor Hochul’s State of the State address and policy book, Empire Center experts issued the following reactions: On taxes: "Governor Hochul's promise to hold the line against tax hikes is crucial to restoring New Read More

New York’s Education Shows Improvement, but Questions Remain

In the effort to improve transparency and accountability of New York’s education system, the Empire Center has sys Read More

Empire Center Releases NYC BERS Pension Data for FY2025

Pension payments to during fiscal year 2025 were added today to the Empire Center’s transparency website. The data primarily cover school support staff and administrative personnel. The BERS paid a total of $351 million in pension payments Read More

Newly Retired NYPD Retirees Average $100,000+ in Pension

Newly retired1 “full career”2 members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) collected an average of $103,859, according to , the Empire Center’s transparency website. The data, received from the New York Read More

Empire Center Calls for Release of PPL Records

The Empire Center is calling on the Hochul administration to promptly release records of its spring 2024 communications with Public Partnerships LLC, the company that later won a controversial $1 billion contract under Medi Read More