Governor Kathy Hochul isn’t backing down on crime, mental health, or budget showdowns. In a fiery Politics Unusual interview, she defended her subway safety plan, pushing back against federal funding threats and touting a 50% crime drop since the Giuliani era. She vowed to tackle New York’s mental health crisis, calling it “inhumane” to leave vulnerable people on the streets. With budget talks stalled, Hochul is fighting for key reforms—including cracking down on fare evasion and streamlining services. And when it comes to baseball? She’s playing it safe, backing both the Yankees and the Mets.
Governor Hochul is a Guest on WNYW-TV’s ‘Politics Unusual’
Governor Hochul: “I’m never going to be satisfied with the rate of subway crimes on the subway in our city. No one is ever satisfied as long as there’s even one… I’m happy to work with the Secretary and show him what we’re doing and if he has other ideas on how to do that, we’ll be happy to take assistance from the federal government because they have a vested interest in the success of our subway system as well, because as goes New York City’s economy, so goes the nation.”
Hochul: “In a case where someone clearly cannot take care of themselves, they’re not being fed properly, their clothes are not clean and they’re just unfortunately sliding into this place which is really inhumane. And when we see that, it is heartbreaking. These are God’s children as well. They deserve better than that. And if they don’t have the mental capacity to make decisions, then we have a moral responsibility to get them help.”
Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul was a guest on WNYW-TV’s “Politics Unusual.”
AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:
Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: We are just days away from when the New York State Budget is due, but negotiations hit their first major roadblock on Thursday. Most lawmakers went home for the weekend and won’t be back in Albany until Tuesday. But not everyone went home and negotiations are continuing up in Albany, which is why my first guest, Governor Kathy Hochul, is joining us remotely today from Albany.
Governor, thank you so much for being here. I knew you’d wanted to be here in person but thank you for finding the time for this interview.
Governor Hochul: Thanks, Morgan, and congratulations on your new show. I think it’s going to provide an important public service so you can help them dissect the issues of the day, so thank you.
Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: Thank you so much, Governor. So, for our viewers, how Budget negotiations work: The Governor, Senate Majority Leader and Assembly Speaker, you’re all locked in a room for the most part, negotiating, hashing out that Budget. And it used to be called three men in a room, but now it’s two women and one man in a room. So the big question, will there be a Budget by April 1, or are you guys going to need to pass a Budget extender?
Governor Hochul: Morgan, at this point, we’re still in deep conversations. There is a rhythm. You’re a real veteran of Albany, you know that it starts out with a flurry. We have a lot of intense meetings with leaders. We have a chance to share our top priorities, as I have done.
We know public safety is number one. Getting these discovery law changes so cases aren’t thrown out is an important part of my agenda. Also, making sure that we deal with people who have severe mental illness, who can’t take care of themselves, who are on the streets of New York or in the subway. And also my affordability agenda and cell phones.
So I have a chance early on to present my vision, and then the legislators have to take it back to their conferences. So when there’s a lull, which is very much part of the rhythm, it’s usually because they have to go back and maybe fine-tune some language or they have to talk to their conferences. So this is not unusual. This is my fourth Budget and we may or may not make April 1.
But the truth is, I’ve been successful in achieving the goals I set out to do, and that’s what I’m focusing on right now, delivering for the people of this great state.
Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: Exactly. And one of these sayings up in Albany is, a deal has to come together and fall apart at least three times before you guys make a final Budget deal.
But I’m hearing that one of the sticking points in this Budget is that involuntary removal language. Now, where do you guys stand exactly on this issue and getting those struggling with mental illness off the streets and into long-term care? I’m hearing some of the concerns are that they’re going to be back out onto the streets. How do you stop that revolving door?
Governor Hochul: Well, that’s what’s happening right now, Morgan. They are being — sometimes off the streets because they’re in the throes of a severe mental health crisis. They could do harm to other people or themselves. But we’re also saying, in a case where someone clearly cannot take care of themselves, they’re not being fed properly, their clothes are not clean and they’re just unfortunately sliding into this place which is really inhumane.
And when we see that, it is heartbreaking. These are God’s children as well. They deserve better than that. And if they don’t have the mental capacity to make decisions, then we have a moral responsibility to get them help.
What that means is go to a hospital, be seen by two psychiatric experts and make a decision, should they be confined to the hospital. Not a jail. Not a jail. We’re talking about confined to a hospital in a nurturing, supportive environment and getting them on a path to recovery. And why that is so complicated, I’m not sure, because it’s common sense. It recognizes the dignity of every human life, but also takes away the anxiety that people have when they see these individuals because there have been cases where there have been violent acts and it’s unsettling for people on the subway in the streets.
So we’re trying to get to language that is in place in 43 other states. So I don’t know why this is so challenging, but I’m very committed to getting this done.
Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: Now, Governor, earlier this year, you proposed guardrails on Mayor Eric Adams after there were allegations that he was cooperating with the federal government to get his criminal charges dropped. Do you think those guardrails will be in the budget?
Governor Hochul: No. They have to go to the City Council first. We knew there was a process that said they have to make the changes and ask for a home rule change from the Legislature.
So again, I was creating options for people in the city who were very concerned about that dynamic that was unfolding; is there undue pressure on the Mayor or not? I thought that we put in some guardrails related to legal decisions and investigations and the budget. Just some ways that we can keep an eye on the situation and give people that sense of confidence, which I thought would be helpful to the Mayor and the city getting stabilized. And if the City Council doesn’t want to do it, then they must be fine with the status quo. I was just reaching out a hand to help out and it’s up to the people in the City Council to decide whether to send it to the Legislature.
Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: Yeah, and Adams just recently appointed as First Deputy Mayor, Randy Mastro. He was leading a lawsuit against New York with New Jersey against congestion pricing, and he did back away from representing New Jersey in his lawsuits after he became First Deputy Mayor, but he is still representing Madison Square Garden and James Dolan, what’s your take on this?
Governor Hochul: Well, I’ll tell you, we won rather handily against him in the congestion pricing lawsuit because they had nothing to stand on. And they actually ended up in a worse place than we were willing to do for them. So I’ll just put that as the aside.
We are going to continue fighting for congestion pricing because it is working and many naysayers and people who said, “Never, never, never,” are saying, “Eh, it’s actually working.”
It’s up to the Mayor who he selects to have around him. I hope he’ll pick people that inspire confidence. But again, my job is to work with the Mayor because I also represent 8.3 million New York City residents.
Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy this week has been threatening to cut off federal funding to the MTA if there’s not some sort of subway safety plan.
In fact he said, and we’re going to play this sound by, I know you can’t see it Governor, but we’re going to play it here. And then we’re going to give you a chance to respond. Go ahead.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy: If you want people to take the train, take transit, then make it safe. Make it clean, make it beautiful, make it wonderful.
Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: Now they’re saying that if the State doesn’t give them a subway safety plan that they’re going to cut this funding. What’s your response?
Governor Hochul: We have given them a subway safety plan. Something I unveiled three years ago. Which as you can see with the crime rates being 50 percent lower than they were back when Rudy Giuliani was the Mayor, “Mr. Tough on Crime,” 50 percent lower than that time, 25 percent lower than last year.
I’m never going to be satisfied with the rate of subway crimes on the subway in our city. No one is ever satisfied as long as there’s even one. But you cannot argue with the fact that my cops plan, I’m funding — State is paying for overtime for police officers, two on every train starting at nine o’clock at night. That has calmed the situation down dramatically. I wanted to make that investment. That’s important. We now have cameras on every single train. I focused on this intently and got it done. We’re also putting up barriers in the subways so people are nervous about being pushed into the tracks. We’ve had some horrific cases.
They will feel safer behind these barriers as well as continue to collect fares. Fair evasion is down 25 percent, but I’m not done. So I’m happy to work with the Secretary and show him what we’re doing and if he has other ideas on how to do that, we’ll be happy to take assistance from the federal government because they have a vested interest in the success of our subway system as well, because as goes New York City’s economy, so goes the nation.
And I’ll work with him. He can call it anything he wants, but I know that people in the city rely on the subway and it is safer. It’s not where we want it to go yet, but it is safer than it was. But also he says people won’t take the subway. It’s up 10 percent since January, so people are taking the subway.
Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: Thank you so much, Governor, and we have one last question for you here. We reached out to our TikTok viewers and asked them if they wanted to ask you a question, which we’re going to put up here. And this is from Joey Lorenza – with opening day being yesterday, who is the Governor rooting for this baseball season?
Governor Hochul: All right, here’s how I have to do this. I was raised as a Yankee fan, okay? In Western New York, the closest team of the Toronto Blue Jays, clearly we’re not going for a Canadian team. So there’s a lot of love for the Yankees. I watched them closely when I was in college. I knew all the players, watched them intensely, but I’m also from Buffalo and I have this affinity for the underdog, which the Mets historically had been.
So I love when an underdog that’s trying to — really scrappy and trying hard. So I say, I want to see the Mets do it because the Yankees got really far last year and I’d like to see the Mets go that far this year. So there you have it. It’ll get me in trouble with half the population, but I will always be willing to take a position on something that’s as important as baseball.
Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: Thank you again so much, Governor, for taking the time. I also have my split allegiance between the two teams. Thank you for being here, even if it is virtually. I really appreciate it.
Governor Hochul: Alright, thanks Morgan. Good luck with the show.
March 28, 2025
Albany, NY
Sources: NY.gov, Midtiwn Tribune
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