Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick & Senate Republican Conference Unveil Affordability Report
January 29, 2026
Legislative Recommendations Follow Series of Roundtables Held Throughout NYS
ALBANY, NY – Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick and Members of the Senate Republican Conference unveiled “An Affordable New York,” a comprehensive report including legislative recommendations to ease the high cost of living for New Yorkers. The report is the result of a series of roundtable discussions held by the Senate Republican Conference throughout New York that focused on the key areas driving New York’s affordability crisis.
During the roundtables, Senators heard from stakeholders and community organizations about a variety of issues including taxes and regulations, energy and utility costs, childcare, housing, insurance, transportation and commuting costs, and the cost of food and groceries. Participants emphasized that while each of these components present affordability challenges on their own, together they form an unsustainable climate that makes the cost of living increasingly unaffordable for New Yorkers.
“Following a series of roundtables held across the state, we listened closely to local leaders, business owners, and families about the financial pressures they face every day, and this report reflects the need to turn those conversations into real, practical solutions. For years, my Senate Republican colleagues and I have been focused on addressing New York’s affordability crisis, an issue Albany Democrats are only now beginning to acknowledge. Our conference has advanced commonsense legislation that puts money back in the pocket of constituents’, instead of repeating the cycle of higher spending and higher taxes with little to show for it,” stated Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick
The report makes a series of recommendations to help ease the burden on New Yorkers in several areas identified as major drivers of the high cost of living and doing business. Among the highlights are proposals cosponsored by Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick that would:
Reduce Taxes
> Exempt tips from state income tax (S.587)
> Exempt overtime wages from state income tax (S.3914)
> Create a tax relief program to reimburse qualifying homeowners for increases in local property taxes on their primary residence (S.8489)
Reduce Regulations and Government Spending
> Create a task force to review the State Administrative Procedure Act, making the regulatory process more business-friendly by ensuring state rules are consistent, efficient and not overly burdensome (S.930)
Lower Costs of Basic, Everyday Necessities
Energy
> Return unused funds held by the State from the New York State Climate Investment Account to ratepayers, providing nearly one billion dollars in relief to ratepayers at a time when utility bills are skyrocketing (S.8461)
> Repeal the system benefit charge. The system benefit charge is a fee imposed on all ratepayers that provides money to NYSERDA and the PSC. Repealing such fees would lower utility bills (S.7075)
Housing
> Establish the First-time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act (S.850)
> Repeal All-Electric Building Act, which adds approximately $20,000 to $25,000 to the construction cost of a single-family home (S.1167)
> Allow developers to comply with the less costly and less burdensome 2020 Energy Codes in lieu of the 2025 Energy Code, a $7,400 savings per single family home (S.8621)
Childcare
> Ensure the Child Care Assistance Program is fully funded in the 2026-27 State Budget, so all eligible families receive proper help with childcare expenses
> Supplement the State’s existing child tax credit by providing a $1,000 “baby bonus” refundable tax credit for all parents of newborns (S.4487)
Senate Republicans will continue to roll out key initiatives under their Save New York agenda through the coming weeks.
*A full copy of the report is attached.
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