2017 State of the State Greater Rochester International Airport JFK International Airport Second Avenue Subway Andrew M. Cuomo Governor New York State: Ever Upward 2017 State of the State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Contents The Middle Class Recovery....................................................... 33 1. Jobs and Infrastructure ..................................................... 33 Part 1. Rebuilding and Reimagining New York Infrastructure ...................................................................................... 35 Proposal: Reimagine JFK International Airport for the Next Century of Growth ............................................................. 37 Proposal: Implement Round Two of the Successful Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition ..................................................................................... 41 Proposal: Invest in Long Island’s Transformation .......... 43 Proposal: Create the Town of Woodbury Transit and Economic Development Hub .................................................... 44 Proposal: Initiate New Study to Determine Viability of Tunnel Options to Transform Outdated I-81 Viaduct in Syracuse ............................................................................................ 46 Proposal: Build a New Amtrak Station at Schenectady . 47 Proposal: Expand Authority for Design-Build Contracting to Certain New York State Agencies and Public Authorities ......................................................................... 48 Proposal: Pass the New York Buy American Act for Domestic Preference in State Procurement ....................... 50 Part 2. Fueling a Clean Energy Economy .................................. 52 Proposal: Construct First Offshore Wind Project in New York State off Long Island and Develop Up to 2.4 Gigawatts of Offshore Wind by 2030 .................................... 54 Proposal: Invest $360 Million to Construct 11 Major Renewable Energy Projects and Leverage $4 Billion to Build an Additional 35 Projects by 2020 ............................ 57 Proposal: Build 500 New Workplace Electric Vehicle Charging Stations and Install 69 New Charging Stations Along the Thruway ....................................................................... 61 1 Part 3. Continuing Our E2 Commercialization Strategy .... 63 Proposal: Invest $650 Million to Fuel a World-Class Life Sciences Cluster in New York .................................................. 66 Proposal: Launch $10 Million Photonics Venture Challenge in Rochester ............................................................... 70 Proposal: Continue Higher Education as Economic Generator with Another Round of SUNY and CUNY 2020 Capital Grants ................................................................................. 71 Part 4. Continuing Our Bottom-Up Economic Development Strategy .................................................................................................. 72 Proposal: Launch Phase Two of the Successful Buffalo Billion Program.............................................................................. 73 Proposal: Invest $750 Million for Round Seven of the Regional Economic Development Councils ........................ 76 Proposal: Continue Central New York’s High Tech Boom by Bringing Saab Defense and Security USA Headquarters and R&D Capacity to Central New York . 77 Proposal: Expand Datto in Downtown Rochester ........... 79 Proposal: Launch Second Phase of State Fair Modernization ................................................................................ 80 Part 5. Revitalizing Our Downtowns.......................................... 82 Proposal: Expand the Downtown Revitalization Program by Awarding an Additional 10 Cities .................................... 83 Proposal: Expand the Innovation Economy by Enabling Ride Sharing Across New York State .................................... 85 Proposal: Encourage Recent College Graduates to Become First-Time Homeowners in Upstate Communities ................................................................................... 87 Part 6. Growing Our Tourism and Agriculture Sectors ...... 88 Proposal: Complete the Empire State Trail to Create the Nation’s Longest State Multi-Use Trail Network by 2020 .............................................................................................................. 91 2 Proposal: Expand Tourism Investment to $55 Million . 95 Proposal: Double Visitors’ Exposure to Taste NY Products in New York State Parks and Expand Presence at Major Entertainment Venues .............................................. 96 Proposal: Grow New York’s Craft Beverage Sector to Create Jobs ....................................................................................... 98 Proposal: Establish the Taste NY Culinary Trail System .............................................................................................................. 99 Proposal: Grow the Industrial Hemp Program in the Southern Tier ............................................................................... 101 Proposal: Create Master Plan for “Gateway to the Adirondacks” at Northway Exit 29 in North Hudson .. 102 2. Access to Education ......................................................... 105 Part 1. Expanding Education Opportunities for All Students ................................................................................................................ 108 Proposal: Create 22,000 After School Slots in the 16 Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative Areas ......... 109 Proposal: Expand High Quality Pre-Kindergarten for Three- and Four-Year Olds .................................................... 111 Proposal: Cover AP Testing Exam Fee for 68,000 Low Income Students ......................................................................... 113 Part 2. Building a 21st Century Tech Workforce in New York State ........................................................................................... 114 Proposal: Create Additional Early College High Schools to Provide Disadvantaged Students Opportunities in Tech Sector ................................................................................... 116 Proposal: Expand NYS Master Teacher Program to Designate a Special Cohort Dedicated to Computer Science Teachers ........................................................................ 118 Proposal: Support K-12 Computer Science Education 119 Proposal: Establish the New York Tech Workforce Development Task Force ........................................................ 120 3 Proposal: Create the Tech Workforce Training Fund to Equip New Yorkers for 21st Century Jobs ....................... 121 Part 3. Supporting Great Teachers that Make Great Students .............................................................................................. 123 Proposal: Extend the Empire State Excellence in Teaching Awards ....................................................................... 124 Proposal: Invest in Professional Development for Teachers by Incentivizing Districts to Use Online Texts and Generate School Savings ................................................ 125 Part 4. Achieving a More Affordable Higher Education .. 126 Proposal: Make College Tuition-Free for New York’s Middle Class Families at SUNY and CUNY ....................... 128 Proposal: License Student Loan Servicers to Protect New York’s Students ........................................................................... 130 Part 5. Modernizing Our Workforce........................................ 131 Proposal: Align REDCs and Community College Regional Councils to Better Meet Workforce Needs ...................... 133 Proposal: Incentivize Employers with Tax Credit for Incumbent Worker Training ................................................. 135 Proposal: Create the Empire Star Public Service Award to Promote Professional Development in State Government ................................................................................. 136 3. Lower Taxes ....................................................................... 139 Proposal: Reduce Local Property Taxes by Empowering Voters to Approve Locally-Designed Plans Lowering the Cost of Local Government ...................................................... 140 Proposal: Making Child Care More Affordable for Middle Class Families .............................................................................. 143 The New York Promise ........................................................... 145 1. Social Justice ...................................................................... 145 Part 1. Fighting for New Yorkers to Get Ahead .................. 146 4 Proposal: Launch Taskforce to Develop Portable Benefits to Protect Workers in the Innovation Economy ........................................................................................................... 147 Proposal: Advance Legislation to Enhance the State’s Ability to Recover Unpaid Wages ........................................ 149 Proposal: Continue Common Sense Workers’ Compensation Reform ............................................................. 151 Proposal: Improve Access to Capital for MWBEs ......... 152 Proposal: Expand Needed Assistance to 390,000 Families across New York State ........................................... 155 Proposal: Leverage Federal Funds to Fight Food Insecurity ...................................................................................... 157 Proposal: Increase