Yorktown Supervisor Reacts to Governor Hochul’s State of the State Address

Yorktown Supervisor Ed Lachterman characterized Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State Address as a collection of expensive promises that lack a realistic funding plan and ignore the immediate safety and affordability needs of suburban New Yorkers.

“While the Governor’s address was heavy on rhetoric, it was light on the details that matter to our taxpayers,” said Supervisor Lachterman. “We heard a lot of ‘what’ but almost no ‘how.’ Without a clear explanation of how she intends to pay for this multi-billion-dollar agenda, I fear the burden will once again fall on the backs of hard-working Yorktown families through the inevitable pressure to raise taxes.”

Supervisor Lachterman highlighted several key areas where the Governor’s proposals fail suburban communities:

• Energy Hypocrisy & The Indian Point Legacy: Addressing the state’s energy-cost crisis, Lachterman pointed to the contradiction in closing the Indian Point Energy Center only to call for massive new nuclear development elsewhere. “Closing Indian Point was a blow to our region’s energy stability and local jobs. Now, she wants five gigawatts of new nuclear energy while mandating all-electric housing that our current grid simply cannot support. It is counterproductive and expensive for the consumer.”
• Public Safety & Criminal Justice Reform: Lachterman called for immediate changes to protect residents and police officers. “Our police must be empowered, not sidelined. We need legal reform that ensures violent offenders are not immediately released back into our neighborhoods.”
• Renewed Attacks on Home Rule: Lachterman expressed concern over hinted changes to land-use regulations. “I look forward to reading the Governor’s plan for streamlining regulations for housing development, but any plan that bypasses Home Rule is a non-starter.”
• Strengthening Hate Crime Laws: On the rising tide of anti-Semitism, Lachterman argued that the Governor’s focus on protest buffer zones ignores the core of the problem. “We need laws with teeth that target the perpetrators of anti-religion violence and harassment. The law should equally prosecute perpetrators of hate speech regardless of the religion under attack. No one should feel unsafe in their place of worship.”

“Yorktown residents deserve a state government that prioritizes affordability, safety, and respect for local governance,” concluded Supervisor Lachterman. “The Governor’s speech offered plenty of 'fluff,' but very little to calm the fears of residents who see their costs rising and quality of life eroding.”