Preliminary statements: What to expect in Cuomo's State of the State

Today, Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivers his sixth State of the State address, the annual speech laying out his agenda for the legislative session.

But in a departure from his first few years in office, Cuomo has already rolled out a number of the top priorities in his 2016 agenda.

This past September he called for a $15 minimum wage for all workers in New York, and has been paving the way for it with unilateral wage hikes for fast food workers and state employees. In October, he and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced an agreement to fund the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s capital plan, pledging $8.3 billion from the state. 

And in recent days the governor has unveiled one marquee proposal after another, from major improvements for Penn Station, the Javits Center and the Long Island Rail Road to reduced Thruway tolls to new funding for environmental programs, local water systems and upstate roads and bridges.

Even with fewer surprises expected, though, there are plenty of questions that will be answered only after Cuomo takes the stage. Here are three questions that City & State hopes are answered in the speech.

What will Cuomo do for Republicans?

The governor’s embrace of a $15 minimum wage has been interpreted as a sign of a broader leftward shift, and his multibillion-dollar MTA agreement spurred calls from upstate Republicans for a fair share of transportation funds. Cuomo, who has a reputation as a centrist, has already taken some steps to cater to Republicans this year, including a promise of $22 billion for upstate infrastructure over five years. But some of his 2016 proposals, including a small business tax cut and Long Island transit upgrades, have prompted skeptical responses from Republicans. Whether Cuomo actively partners with the party on any major initiative could prove critical in the state Senate, where the GOP is at risk of losing its grip on its one statewide hold on power in the fall elections – and could use some political victories this spring.

Will Cuomo actually clean up Albany?

Pressure to enact new ethics reform measures has ratcheted up in recent months, thanks to the convictions of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos – not to mention Tom Libous, a former Senate deputy majority leader, Malcolm Smith, another past Senate leader, and William Scarborough, a former assemblyman, who were also expelled after getting convicted on various charges. The spate of scandals undercuts Cuomo’s pledge to clean up the state Capitol, and early this month he insisted that ethics reform will be at the “top of my agenda.” Good-government groups have called for closing the LLC loophole and for campaign finance reform, among other changes, but it is unclear what exactly Cuomo will push for – and how hard he’ll actually push. 

Will there be any surprises?

What will Cuomo propose to address the homelessness crisis? Will he swoop in and force through a deal on the 421-a housing tax credit? What Photoshopped scene will Cuomo be in with the two new legislative leaders? One potential goal that he could take up – and one that is popular with both the Republican Senate and the Democrat-dominated Assembly – is an increase in education funding, and in particular the demise of the despised gap elimination adjustment. The GEA, which reduces aid to school districts, was instituted in response to a severe budget deficit at the end of the Paterson administration, and lawmakers have been chipping away at it ever since. Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, who previously chaired the Education Committee, has said that it is essential to do away with the cuts to education funding. Cuomo has not commented on the measure in recent weeks, but if he does make it a priority during the State of the State, it could draw strong applause.

Check back later today for a recap of the governor's speech...