ALBANY, N.Y. (April 8, 2025) – In response to reports that Governor Hochul has proposed a changing elections requirements so that candidates for governors and lieutenant governors must run on the same ticket in the primary, the public education advocacy organization Alliance for Quality Education issued the following statement:

“As New York grapples with a mounting child care crisis and school districts await state budget decisions, Governor Hochul has chosen to grind budget negotiations to a halt so she can play political games for her reelection campaign’s benefit.

“Tens of thousands of children and families are on the verge of losing access to child care without more state funding for child care vouchers, or CCAP. Parents will be forced to make impossible decisions, and providers will be forced to close their doors. Meanwhile school districts across the state are stuck in limbo, unable to finalize their budgets without knowing what funding they can expect from Albany.

“Despite promising to lead differently, this Governor is now employing the same last-minute political tactics that defined a previous administration – leveraging her power over the budget process, not to serve families or communities, but for her own political gain.

“At a time when so many urgent needs hinge on the outcomes of the state budget – from education funding to child care, housing to community services – the Governor’s decision to put herself first is not just irresponsible, it’s a betrayal of her office.

“New Yorkers were told they were electing a leader who understood the pressures facing working families, someone who would bring a different perspective. But right now, with the stakes higher than ever, what they’re getting is more of the same.”