In Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's first State of the State address, he emphasized the critical crossroads facing New York State government (read his remarks here). As expected, the highest priority on his list is the restoration of fiscal responsibility to the State government, which currently faces a deep budget deficit that Gov. Cuomo measured yesterday at $10 billion. Gov. Cuomo himself has already accepted a 5% pay cut and is planning a one-year pay freeze for all state employees, as well as a state spending cap to highlight the urgency of reigning in state expenditures. Among Gov. Cuomo's additional efforts to limit spending are a plan to redesign the state's Medicaid program, which amounts to more than a third of the state's annual budget. The Governor is seeking a 20% downsizing of government agencies, authorities, and commissions, limitations on property taxes, and a redesign of local governments, education policy and mandate relief programs.

While Gov. Cuomo's plans to reduce the budget are ambitious, there are a host of urgent social justice issues he must tackle:

Ethics Reform
In his speech, Gov. Cuomo promised to restore constituents' faith in government by instituting campaign finance reform that would set limits on campaign spending, establish public funding of elections, and restrict lobbyist campaign contributions. Gov. Cuomo is also committed to creating an independent redistricting commission to free New York constituents from the politically motivated gerrymandering to which they have been subject for so long. In addition, he plans to create an independent state ethics board to oversee financial disclosures and investigate and punish violations by legislators. To read RJV's position paper on Good Government, click here.

Marriage Equality
Gov. Cuomo addressed the crucial civil rights issue plaguing New York's gay community, saying, "Fairness demands that marriage equality become a reality now...Marriage equality is a question of principle and the State should not discriminate against same-sex couples who wish to get married." These were welcome words as we enter the second year of our Marriage Equality Campaign. To send an action alert to your state Senator demanding equal marriage, click here.

Reproductive Rights
Gov. Cuomo signified his commitment to passing reproductive choice legislation, which will protect women's reproductive freedom and enshrine their right to make private health care decisions. Read our position paper on the Reproductive Choice here.