Hochul becomes state’s first female governor

Governor Kathy Hochul addressed New Yorkers on her first day in office on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021.  Photo via Gov. Hochul/Flickr

By Jacob Kaye

Governor Kathy Hochul became the first woman to serve as New York’s executive Tuesday.

It was a busy first day for the former lieutenant governor who was elevated to the state’s top spot in the wake of Andrew Cuomo’s resignation, which became official as the clock struck midnight on Monday.

Hochul was officially sworn in at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday morning, had an unofficial swearing-in ceremony Tuesday morning, met with Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins around midday and addressed New Yorkers in the afternoon.

“I’m ready to get to work to solve the big problems that this state faces,” Hochul said after Chief Judge Janet DiFiore helped the 57th governor of New York take the oath of office.

Hochul faces a growing mountain of crises as she takes office. In her afternoon address, Hochul said that her three biggest priorities were controlling the spread of the Delta variant and COVID-19 as a whole, getting financial aid to people in need as quickly as possible and reforming the culture in Albany.

With the FDA’s recent approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, Hochul said that “New Yorkers can expect new vaccine requirements,” adding that a more detailed policy will be created soon.

The governor also directed all school districts to implement universal masking for anyone entering a public school building in the state. She added that she’s pushing for all school employees to be vaccinated or otherwise undergo regular testing.

“To accomplish this in New York, we need partnerships with all levels of government, and I am working now on getting this done,” she said.

Hochul said that she is committed to taking immediate action to address the state’s lagging rental assistance program, which has drawn ire from landlords and tenants alike.

“I am not at all satisfied with the pace that this COVID relief is getting out the door,” Hochul said. “I want the money out—and I want it out now. No more excuses and delays. I met with Assembly Speaker Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins earlier today, and we are unified in our sense of urgency that this money get it out to people in need.”

The state’s eviction moratorium is set to expire at the end of August. Though a group of elected officials, including many in Queens, have called on the State Legislature to reconvene and extend the moratorium, Hochul did not encourage such action in her address.

Instead, she said that she’d be hiring more staff to process rent relief applications and that she’s forming partnerships throughout the state to let New Yorkers who qualify know that they qualify.

New Yorkers who qualify for the funds will not be evicted for a year.

Lastly, Hochul said that she hopes to change the culture in Albany. While she didn’t call out Cuomo by name, many of the policy changes she hinted at would have likely applied to the sexual harassment allegations that pushed the former governor out.

“The final priorities I will outline today are simple — get this state working again — focused and without distractions,” Hochul said. “That begins with a dramatic change in culture—with accountability and no tolerance for individuals who cross the line.”

The governor said she will direct an overhaul of the State government’s sexual harassment and ethics policy and require that all trainings be done live and not online, where people can “click there way through a class.”

Hochul said she has also directed the state to expedite and fulfill all Freedom of Information Law requests “as fast as possible and post completed requests publicly online.”

In the final moments of her remarks, Hochul emphasized the historic nature of her governorship.

“Today, for the first time in New York history, a woman will enter that arena as governor,” she said. “As I undertake the weighty responsibilities before me, know that I have the confidence, courage and the ability to lead New Yorkers forward – and to make New York's women proud.”