NYS Capital — New York Governor Kathy Hochul stood alongside Zohran Mamdani a few times this week, highlighted by the unveiling of her plan for universal childcare in New York State. The rollout will begin in New York State, with the aim for statewide implementation in the coming years.
To help pay for the first-year rollout in New York City’s 2-C program (for two-year olds), the Governor is proposing to increase child care funding by $1.7 billion for the upcoming fiscal year. For this program specifically, the State would pay $73 million for the first year. Overall, it’s estimated the entire rollout will cost roughly $15 billion dollars.
The Governor says the State will not need to increase taxes to pay for this initiative.
This initiative was first championed by the Governor in her 2025 State of the State, then received more life as it became a part of Zohran Mamdani’s campaign for New York City Mayor. His campaign also included proposals for free buses, government run grocery stores, and rent freezes.
With that in mind, while some would need to be funded through the New York City budget, the State budget would need to pay for the majority of his platforms.
As lawmakers begin the 2026 legislative session, CBS6 has been asking those from both sides of the aisle what they think the State should do.
Watch the video to see what they’re saying.