Response to Governor Hochul’s 2024 State of the State Address
Values Align; Opportunities to Move Forward
ALBANY, NY (January 9, 2023) — On behalf of Clean+Healthy, Executive Director Bobbi Wilding issued the following statement regarding Governor Hochul's 2024 State of the State address:
"It is clear that the Governor cares deeply about the safety and wellbeing of all New Yorkers. While she did not directly address many environmental health and justice priorities in her remarks today, she did articulate values that are directly aligned with our organization's policy goals for 2024:
Governor Hochul highlighted her experience as a mom and grandmother who cares deeply about increasing the ability of young children to learn to read. We look forward to working with Governor Hochul and the legislature to address a leading cause of neurological harm to young children: the decades-old scourge of lead poisoning due to leaded paint. Specifically, it's time for the state to enact the Lead Paint Right to Know Act so all families know where lead is lurking and can take action.
With her stated focus on maternal and infant health, and strong support for women, we look forward to working with Governor Hochul and the legislature to protect fertility and development by removing hormone-disrupting and otherwise unhealthy chemicals from personal care products, cosmetics, and period products through the Beauty Justice Act and the Toxics in Menstrual Products Ban. We also look forward to advancing nation-leading restrictions on PFAS chemicals in a wide array of products where they are unnecessary.
With her focus on housing, we look forward to working with her and the legislature on ensuring that older homes not now eligible for climate mitigation investments due to environmental health hazards like lead, asbestos, and mold can be repaired to ensure all people, regardless of income, have safe and healthy housing that helps forestall the coming climate crisis.
As the Governor calls for New York to lead the nation in technological investments and AI research, our state can and should also lead the way toward a just and healthy future for all New Yorkers where toxic chemicals are simply unthinkable, and healthy solutions bolster, instead of undercut, the health of our residents and environment. We are excited for the opportunities ahead in 2024."
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