“In the 2026-27 state budget, I worked hard to ensure we continued to make New York more affordable for our families. We have implemented several measures and increased funding to ease the pain of federal cuts while delivering relief from rising costs.

“The spending plan provides one-time Protecting Our Wallets Energy Rebate (POWER) checks totaling $1 billion, benefiting roughly 8.2 million taxpayers with checks up to $200. We also established the Residential Affordability Through Energy Savings (RATES) Commission to examine rising energy costs and recommend long-term solutions to protect consumers and lower utility rates. The budget also explicitly requires gas and utility companies to return excess revenues to consumers, easing the burden on hardworking New Yorkers struggling to pay their bills.

“New York’s high car insurance costs have been driven by unfair business practices, excessive company profits, and bad actors who exploit and fraud the system. To address premiums, the state budget includes common sense reforms to crack down on fraud and abuse while lowering costs for drivers, including requiring that excess profits be returned to policyholders.

“This year’s budget also delivers relief directly to families by enhancing the Child and Dependent Care Credit, providing approximately $65 million in annual relief to around 230,000 taxpayers and benefiting around 316,000 children.

“To counteract federal cuts to food assistance programs, the budget provides $72.3 million for the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) and $55 million for Nourish New York. We are also providing a tax credit to farmers who donate food and ensuring funding for local food pantries remains strong.

“While there is always more work to be done, by putting New Yorkers first, we are creating a more affordable state.”