FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Contact: Soojin Choi |347-556-6335| press@johnliusenate.com  

Albany, NY – State Senator John Liu, chairperson of the Senate Committee on NYC Education, stated the following about Governor Hochul’s State of the State address.

“Good to hear about the state’s efforts to create a sustainable teacher pipeline. As NYC finally moves toward lowering excessive class sizes, it is imperative to provide our school kids with fully-trained teachers capable of setting them up for success.

“The launch of 2-Care for NYC families is urgent, because as every new parent knows, the younger your child, the more expensive your childcare. This effort moves NYC one step closer to alleviating the affordability crisis faced by too many families of young children. 

“Creating buffer zones in front of houses of worship is a badly needed measure in light of last week’s despicable pro-Hamas demonstration outside a synagogue in Kew Gardens Hills. 

“As the federal government continues to attack the right to vaccinate, it is good to see the governor address the need to protect New York’s access to vaccines. Last year, I introduced legislation that would grant the Department of Health the ability to authorize pharmacists to administer vaccines. This would create a long-term solution to yet another attempt by the Trump White House to undermine vaccination efforts.

“Most of all, it’s encouraging to hear the Governor emphasize New York’s commitment to protecting communities from unwarranted federal immigration raids. The governor’s resolve to keep ICE out of schools and ensure that state resources not be wasted cracking down on law-abiding New Yorkers must be clear and unambiguous, especially when Trump continues to goad ICE agents into acting above the law. To fully protect immigrant New Yorkers, we must pass NY4All and fully fund comprehensive immigration services via legislation like Access to Representation and the BUILD Act.

“I look forward to working with Governor Hochul in the new legislative session to help make these visions become reality.”