Bottom line—I don’t trust Kathy Hochul.

The governor’s sudden “pause” on her all-electric mandate isn’t leadership. It’s political damage control. She hasn’t discovered common sense. She’s discovered bad poll numbers.

From Day One, I’ve warned that Albany’s gas stove ban and one-size-fits-all energy mandates would drive up costs, strain an already shaky grid, and rip away choices from upstate families and small businesses. 

If the governor now admits this law can’t stand up in the real world or in court, she shouldn’t stall it until after Election Day 2026; she should scrap it. 

I’m calling on Gov. Hochul to pledge to the people of New York that her bad idea is dead for good and won’t be back on the table the minute after the election.

We need new leadership in Albany that is honest about its agenda and focused on affordability, reliability and consumer choice—and not on political games. Upstate families deserve a leader who is upfront with taxpayers, unapologetic about defending affordable energy, and willing to say no when the extremists go too far.

State Sen. Peter Oberacker (R-51)
Schenevus, NY