The early hours of this Tuesday began a new era for the state of New York when Kathy Hochul was sworn in as the first governor, making history after being the first woman to hold the highest position in the most important state in the country.
In a private ceremony attended by her husband and some of his family members, Kathy Hochul was sworn in by the state’s chief judge, Janet DiFiore. What will allow him from today to take control of the state and deal with a series of problems that New York faces.
Former Governor Cuomo presented his letter of resignation to the leaders of both state houses hours before Hochul’s inauguration, and almost two weeks after announcing that he would resign from his position following the forceful report published by the attorney general, Letitia James. on allegations of sexual harassment of 11 women.
The Buffalo native who vowed to “turn the page” and create change in the state Capitol after Cuomo’s abrupt departure is officially the 57th Governor of New York, a position that had been filled only by men.
Hochul’s mandate will officially last until 2022, however, during this short period he will face several challenges, among them, the increase in COVID-19 cases, an economic recession caused by the pandemic, the start of the school year, the moratorium on evictions, among others.
“My family and I were there. I feel the weight of responsibility on my shoulders and I will tell New Yorkers that I am up to the task. I am very proud to serve as your governor and I will not let you down,” Hochul said in her opening remarks. minutes after being sworn in as governor to the journalist Claudine Ewing, of the television station WGRZ-TV .
Weeks before the 62-year-old Democrat, confirmed that she will run for a second term, meanwhile, she has enormous challenges ahead that will put her to the test in her management so that the voters choose her in the next elections in November 2022.
It must find new strategies to stop the increase in cases and the 2,017 hospitalizations reported to date in the state by COVID-19, mainly caused by the Delta variant, which is highly contagious.
In his first days in command, he will have to make important decisions about the mandatory use of masks on school grounds and the mandate of the COVID-19 vaccine, to workers in the state education system.
Kathy Hochul took office with thousands of tenants who are on the verge of being evicted from their homes, due to the United States Supreme Court ruling that struck down the provision that allowed people to stay in their homes by filing a form of difficulties due to having suffered economic setbacks as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another problem that Hochul will face and that mostly affects the Latino community, is the demand of essential workers, elected officials and the Coalition of the Excluded Workers Fund, who demand that the requirements to access the $ 2.1 billion fund be relaxed. approved by the state legislature and remove barriers that limit self-employed workers to apply.
With hopes pinned on the incoming governor, she is expected to put pressure on the state Department of Labor so that the assignments can change and thousands of workers, especially undocumented workers, can access these resources.
On her first day as governor, she will have a very busy schedule, at 10:00 AM a swearing-in ceremony will take place. Hours later, he will meet with Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Majority Leader in the State Senate, and Carl E. Heastie, Speaker of the State Assembly. In the afternoon she will deliver her first speech as governor.
Ms. Hochul has already announced her first two appointments to key positions within her cabinet. Her main assistants are: Karen Persichilli Keogh, as secretary to the governor and Elizabeth Fine, as adviser to the governor.
Both women have political experience in both New York City and Washington. Hochul said in a statement that they will help “turn the page on the pandemic and serve the best interests of New York, whether that’s defeating COVID-19, vaccinating more people and strengthening our economy.”
Although Hochul has said that he plans to keep a number of former Governor Cuomo appointees in office. However, he has also affirmed that he will dismiss employees who “acted badly and in an unethical way.”
“No one named for doing something unethical in the report will remain in my administration. There will be rotation, ” said Hochul, in a speech last week from Albany.
At midnight, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will become Governor. She is smart and competent and I think she will be up to the challenge. I wish him every success, ” wrote Andrew Cuomo on his official Twitter account.
“Honored to be officially sworn in as the 57th Governor of New York. I look forward to the full swearing-in ceremony with my family later this morning, and I am addressing the people of New York later today, ” Hochul wrote on his Twitter account nearly an hour after his swearing-in by the state’s Chief Justice.