"In his State of the State and Budget Address, Governor Cuomo unveiled an ambitious agenda and offered New Yorkers a vision of a stronger, more prosperous state. The Senate Democratic Conference has championed so many of the initiatives the Governor discussed in his speech, including raising the minimum wage, providing property tax relief, implementing stronger legislative ethics, passing the Dream Act and reforming our state’s criminal justice system. The Senate Democratic Conference will continue our fight to ensure all New York students, regardless of what zip code they reside in, have access to the high-quality education they deserve. We look forward to working with the Governor and our colleagues in State government to implement these common sense, progressive initiatives, and we urge the Senate Republicans to not act to hamper or stall New York’s progress and economic recovery."