Blakeman Hits Hochul on Firefighter Tax Bill She Signed

Two weeks before Election Day, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman attacked Gov. Kathy Hochul over a bill she had already signed into law. The misfire, first reported by amNewYork, handed the incumbent’s reelection campaign an easy opening on Monday.

In a statement that day, Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, “blasted” Hochul for what he described as her failure to act on bipartisan legislation that quadruples the state income tax credit for volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services workers. “Kathy Hochul is the most pro-criminal governor in America she rolls out the red carpet for criminals, yet when it comes to the heroes who run into burning buildings and keep our communities safe, she turns her back,” Blakeman said. He also warned of a recruitment and retention crisis among volunteer first responders, arguing the expanded credit would help keep them on the job, and accused Hochul of being “nowhere to be found.”

But Hochul had signed the measure on Saturday, according to amNewYork. Her campaign pounced, emailing a statement that called Blakeman’s strategy “lie his ass off” and added: “Wow – what a slam. This legislation sounds like a great idea. That’s probably why the governor signed it two days ago.” The campaign also noted that she had approved the bill in Blakeman’s political backyard, at the Hempstead Fire Department in Nassau County. amNewYork said it asked Blakeman’s campaign whether it knew of the signing before issuing the statement and whether he stands by his criticism, and had received no response.

The legislation, A6790-A/S6233-A, raises the annual state income tax credit for eligible volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers from $200 to $800 for individuals, and from $400 to $1,600 for eligible married couples. The larger credit takes effect in tax year 2027, so qualifying volunteers would claim it when filing in 2028. Under the law, volunteers can claim either the increased income tax credit or a qualifying local property tax exemption.

The bill passed both chambers of the Legislature earlier this year but was not delivered to the governor until Friday, Oct. 16, one day before she signed it. The timing matters here: a bill that clears the Legislature does not reach the governor’s desk until it is formally delivered, which can leave a gap between passage and signature.

“Keeping New York safe and affordable is my highest priority. Today, I’m proud to sign into law a bill that recognizes the sacrifices that all volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers make,” Hochul said in her Saturday announcement.

The underlying concern Blakeman raised is real. His campaign cited figures from the Firefighters Association of the State of New York showing a 33 percent decline in the state’s volunteer firefighting ranks over the past two decades. The expanded credit is meant to help volunteer fire and ambulance departments recruit and keep members. The association’s president, Donald Farrell, praised Hochul in the signing announcement. “Governor Hochul showed up for them,” Farrell said. “She listened to volunteers from every corner of this state, she understood what they were up against, and she made this tax credit a priority.”

The exchange comes days after the lone debate between Hochul and Blakeman on Oct. 13, as the race enters its final stretch.