The democratic socialists in the New York state Legislature are returning to Albany for the start of the new session with one fewer member but possibly more clout than ever. <\/p>\n
Former state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani\u2019s rise from socialist backbencher to mayor of the nation\u2019s largest city shocked political observers and thrust his affordability agenda into the spotlight. Mamdani\u2019s former colleagues say they\u2019re now trying to capitalize on the moment. <\/p>\n
\u201cI can feel the whole movement locking in,\u201d said state Sen. Jabari Brisport of Brooklyn. After years of talking about taxing the rich and universal child care, he said, \u201cwe are in a political moment where we can actually seize this opportunity and push really far on those fronts.\u201d<\/p>\n
This session will test whether Mamdani and the handful of state lawmakers aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America can gain widespread support for their policies. Those include raising taxes on the state\u2019s highest earners to pay for priorities like universal child care and free buses, which Mamdani campaigned on delivering in New York City, even as they will require state-level backing.<\/p>\n
The group of eight lawmakers, who are part of the DSA and collectively known as Albany\u2019s \u201csocialists in office,\u201d makes up just a tiny portion of the 213-member Legislature. They count their major legislative victories<\/a> as passing clean energy investments and raising the minimum wage.<\/p>\n The coalition is supporting a suite of bills<\/a> to raise billions of dollars in new revenue by taxing affluent New Yorkers and corporations. For example, the \u201cFair Share Act,\u201d sponsored by Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest of Brooklyn, would add a 2% surcharge on people making over $1 million in income a year.<\/p>\n Souffrant Forrest estimates the proposal could raise $4 billion in new annual revenue.<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aWe have bills, we have tax ideas,\u201d she said in an interview. \u201cIt’s really just finding out which one we can really work with, with the climate that we have currently.\u201d<\/p>\n Previous plans for taxing wealthy New Yorkers have been stymied at the state level. While both chambers of the Legislature have previously supported an income-tax hike, Gov. Kathy Hochul has called the issue a \u201cnon-starter<\/a>.\u201d Business groups say higher taxes will cause high earners to leave the state.<\/p>\n But in recent weeks Hochul has signaled<\/a> she may be open to increasing the state\u2019s corporate tax rate. Mamdani and the DSA-aligned lawmakers have proposed<\/a> raising that rate, but Hochul has not specifically backed the bill.<\/p>\n One goal these legislators and the governor share is enacting a universal child care program. Mamdani made the promise of free child care a key focus of his mayoral campaign. Hochul pledged to \u201cput our state on a pathway to universal child care\u201d as part of her State of the State address last year.<\/p>\n But the socialist lawmakers say they see a tough fight ahead.<\/p>\n \u201cThe need for child care is in the billions,\u201d Brisport said. That deficit grew larger this week when the Trump administration froze $10 billion<\/a> in child care subsidies to Democratic-led states, including New York.<\/p>\n Brisport argues the only way to raise enough revenue is by increasing taxes on high earners and corporations.<\/p>\n \u201cI know the governor has been hoping for a unicorn to come through and pay for it, but there is no other way out but to raise revenue,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n