Hundreds of New Yorkers Tell Their State Reps: Stand Up to Gov. Hochul and Tax the Ultra-Wealthy

At eight town halls held statewide during February legislative recess, constituents speak directly to state lawmakers poised to enter budget negotiations in Albany

View photos and videos here

New York, NY — Over the past week, Invest in Our New York and a powerful lineup of partner organizations co-hosted eight town halls across the state that collectively drew hundreds of people. The mission uniting this diverse coalition: demanding that Gov. Kathy Hochul and state legislators tax the ultra-wealthy to replace lost federal funding and make lasting investments in vital public services that communities desperately need.

At the town halls, held in Albany, Kingston, Manhattan, Poughkeepsie, Queens, Rochester, Syracuse and Westchester during the February legislative recess, state legislators returning home to their districts heard directly from constituents about the importance and urgency of making the wealthiest New Yorkers and most profitable corporations pay their fair share in taxes. 

This face-to-face advocacy was especially critical as state senators and assemblymembers prepare to enter budget negotiations in Albany. And it worked: Several legislators made public commitments during the town halls to champion IONY’s legislative agenda. These lawmakers included Assemblymembers Alex Bores, Chris Burdick, Jessica González-Rojas, Grace Lee, Diana Moreno, MaryJane Shimsky and Sarahana Shrestha, as well as Senators Michelle Hinchey, Rachel May and Shelley Mayer. Also in attendance were Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado and former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.

As a result of the federal budget scam, 1 million New Yorkers are at risk of losing their Medicaid or Essential Plan coverage, 350,000 could lose their SNAP benefits, and counties across the state face projected new costs of $1.3 billion. These cuts are exacerbating an already dire affordability crisis that puts rent, groceries and childcare out of reach for too many New Yorkers. Meanwhile, New York City faces a $5.4 billion budget deficit and lacks the funds to enact Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s wildly popular affordability agenda.

The IONY town halls showcased the lived experiences of community members poised to lose healthcare and food assistance, parents struggling to afford childcare, tenant advocates working to keep longtime residents in their homes, and healthcare workers grappling with possible hospital closures, as well as perspectives from local elected officials. 

Anchor organizations including the Alliance for Quality Education, Citizen Action of New York, Columbia County Sanctuary Movement, Elders and Allies to Free the People – Rochester, For the Many, Make the Road New York, New York Communities for Change, PSC-CUNY and VOCAL-NY co-hosted the town halls alongside Invest in Our New York. Across the eight events, more than 500 people made their voices heard.

“At these ambitious town halls, New Yorkers across the state came together to demand a more affordable future from their elected representatives,” said Invest in Our New York Campaign Manager Brahvan Ranga. “The people have spoken — now, state legislators must listen to their constituents and bring Gov. Hochul to the negotiation table to enact popular, common-sense policies that make obscenely wealthy New Yorkers and massive corporations pay what they owe.”

###