Some Democrats in New York‘s State Assembly aren’t fans of Gov. Kathy Hochul‘s (D-NY) plan to give the state’s residents inflation rebate checks.
The governor is planning to offer New Yorkers $300 for individuals and $500 for joint filers in a $3 billion project.
House Democrats held a closed-door meeting Monday, reportedly trashing the proposal. They matched criticism that Hochul’s plan is designed to curry voter favor before the 2026 gubernatorial election.
“I can tell you straight up I don’t support the $300 checks,” Democratic Assemblyman Phil Steck told Politico. “It’s a gimmick.”
The inflation rebate is part of Hochul’s record-high $252 billion budget proposal. Assembly Democrats are concerned that the plan will bloat the budget further and that there are more pressing needs, such as universal pre-K or further addressing the housing crisis.
“My constituents said they would rather have universal pre-K,” Steck said. “I don’t think it’s really in tune with what people need.”
Hochul has prioritized addressing affordability in New York after a 2024 general election that saw President Donald Trump win largely because of his economic message and a lack of accountability for recent inflation under former President Joe Biden.
The governor sent a letter to Rory Christian, Public Service Commission chairman and Department of Public Service CEO, Tuesday in an effort to reject Con Edison’s proposed utility rate hikes.
In a statement following the letter, she said she wants residents of New York to “understand how important” affordability is to her.
“This is a statement of my priorities as Governor: protect our citizens from the costs of everything going up, and start with their utility bills. And I’m going to make sure they understand how important this is to me,” she said.
State Republicans have been ardent opponents of Hochul’s rebate checks, but would rather Hochul address the state’s taxes.
“Rebate checks are a promotional stunt that won’t scratch the surface of New York’s affordability crisis,” Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay told the Washington Examiner. “Everyone loves getting a check in the mail, but that wears off quickly once the next tax bill comes in. Affordability has been our No. 1 problem for years and Democrats have done nothing to address it. If you want to help New Yorkers with the sky-high cost of living here, don’t take their money in the first place.”
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), National Democrat and rumored gubernatorial challenger, said the checks don’t actually address inflation and backed the idea that it’s a political stunt.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“Haunted by the specter of a primary challenge, Governor Hochul is proposing an ‘inflation refund.’ A one-time check will not compensate for the double-digit increases in inflation that New Yorkers have suffered during the Governorship of Kathy Hochul,” he said in December 2024. “For three years, the Governor has ignored the millions of New York families crippled by the crushing cost of groceries and gasoline. The Governor has deceptively reframed the cost of congestion pricing as a ‘cost-savings.’
“Is the congestion fee part of her ‘inflation refund’ for New Yorkers? New York has a Governor who gives with one hand while taking with the other,” he added.