Hawley, Ortt critical of governor’s ‘State of the State’

‘We need more than band-aid solutions.’ – Rob Ortt

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, r-Batavia, and State Sen. Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda have both issued statement critical of proposals in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s “State of the State” address.

Assemblyman Hawley said Hochul offered “empty rhetoric” and he faulted her for driving up costs for New Yorkers.

“At a time when nearly 80% of New Yorkers say they are struggling to keep up with the cost of living, Kathy Hochul offered no meaningful solutions during today’s address,” said Hawley. “Let me be clear: Today’s speech was nothing more than a campaign stunt from one of the nation’s most unpopular governors. Hochul may claim to care about rising costs, but New Yorkers are not buying it.”

State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt issued this statement:

“The Governor’s State of the State put a large emphasis on this year’s political buzzwords: affordability and public safety. However, it failed to mention that the current affordability crisis and deterioration of safety in our communities is the direct result of years of bad policies coming from Democrats in Albany.

“Unless we are putting money back into the pockets of New Yorkers, we are not delivering affordability. Unless we stop prioritizing the rights of criminals, we are not delivering public safety. We need more than band-aid solutions, we need to truly address the underlying factors that have led us to where we are today.

“Our conference has unveiled our Save NY agenda that will truly improve the quality of life for New Yorkers, and help them keep more of their hard earned money. We will continue to stand in opposition against radical policies that harm our state, and continue to advocate for common sense alternatives that deliver real results for our constituents.”