ALBANY, NY- Today, the Chair of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus, Assemblymember Michaelle C. Solages (D-Elmont), released the following statement in response to Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2022 State of the State address:

As elected officials, we are tasked with leading New Yorkers through one of the most arduous phases in recent history. From these past two years, we have lost loved ones and challenged ourselves as we worked to keep our households safe. That is why this year must center the basic needs of working-class New Yorkers and provide tangible relief to our communities.

Generations of New Yorkers have seen their wealth extracted and their economic opportunities stifled. The COVID-19 crisis is hurting all our communities, but not equally. It is past time for reparations to be centered in the Executive’s priorities.Subsequently, we hope to continue the dialogue around the need for initiatives such as universal child care and Pre-k, which will provide support to a new generation of parents as they seek to enter the workforce or start a small business.

Over the last several years, we took meaningful steps to begin to address New York’s mass incarceration crisis. In addition, to bail reform, we put an end to solitary confinement, legalized recreational marijuana, repealed the “Walking While Trans” ban, and put an end to the reincarceration of people who commit technical parole violations. We look forward to working with the Executive to enact the clean slate legislation, the restoration of the tuition assistance program for incarcerated individuals, and the “Jail to Jobs’ package.

Additionally, part of our ongoing work on these restorative justice issues must include preserving the wins we have secured. Black and Brown New Yorkers are far more likely to be incarcerated pretrial than white New Yorkers. We need a system that is fair for all, not just the wealthy. Now is the time to stand strong and ensure that pretrial freedoms are allowed to work and ultimately strengthened, and not rolled back any further.

We look forward to releasing the 2022 People’s Budget, which will include the Caucus’ full list of priorities for the legislative session.