Gov. Hochul’s administration promotes budget investments in reproductive rights, crime victim services
Members of New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s cabinet appeared in Albany Monday to highlight executive budget proposals.
The cabinet members gathered at Rockefeller College about a month before the budget is due. The message: the Democrat’s administration is focused on improving affordability for New Yorkers, and also increasing public safety.
Bea Hanson is Director of the Office of Victim Services, which funds 250 programs across the state to help victims of crime with advocacy in the courts and counseling services.
“We’ve seen real drops in crime. We’re at a murder homicide rate that’s like we haven’t seen since 1965 so really talking about those decreases and things that we’re doing around the state, like putting together Crime Analysis Centers and communities and counties all across the state to help local law enforcement be able to investigate crimes in a better way,” said Hanson.
Kelli Owens is Executive Director of the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence. She says the $252 billion budget proposal improves access to public assistance for victims of gender-based violence and enhances support for crime victims.
“So in regards to sexual assault in the state of New York, if you are a victim or survivor of sexual assault, and you show up at a hospital, you may be asked to wait for a forensic rape exam. This budget in this state of the state fixes that, says you don’t have to wait. You don’t have to you don’t have to be told to come back. It’s a mandate now that every hospital will have sexual assault forensic exams available within an hour,” Owens said.
St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services provides a certified rape crisis program that serves some of the counties in the Capital Region. Director Lindsey Crusan-Muse says she came to the talk to learn more about the governor’s proposed investment in rape crisis funding, which would rise from $6.5 to $12.8 million dollars.
“Because for the past 10 years, it has received flat funding from New York State, and we’re absolutely thrilled that the governor has proposed a doubling in state funding for rape crisis programs. That will allow rape crisis programs to get advocates to hospitals 24/7 to provide in person crisis support services to victims and survivors of sexual assault of all ages, and also allow those same programs to provide prevention education services and follow up care after folks have unfortunately experienced a sexual assault,” said Crusan-Muse.
Hanson and Owens say the informational talk was held to get the word out to anybody who interacts with a victim or survivor of domestic or sexual violence.
Unity House of Troy Assistant Director Casey Helmer says in turbulent political times, it’s important to know the state’s perspective.
“I think it’s a really great thing that New York State is taking kind of the stance that they are, and it makes us all feel supported as victim service providers in a time of real uncertainty, and all we really want to do is help people. We just want to help as many people as we can. And the reality is that there’s always going to be more victims,” Helmer said.
Patrick Orecki is the Director of State Studies for the non-profit Citizens Budget Commission. “It is going to be a massive amount of spending growth at a time when the federal government is basically moving in the opposite direction. And that’s important for the state and making the state’s budget, because over a third of what the state spends every year comes directly from the federal government and that’s especially important and things like Medicaid and related healthcare policies. So any physical policy changes that the federal government makes could have a multibillion-dollar impact on the state budget,” said Orecki.
The budget is due April 1st.
