Gov. Kathy Hochul pledged to tackle gun violence across the state, and she asked the congregation of a Buffalo church that has buried several members who were fatally shot to stand with her as she battles in Albany for programs that give young people an alternative to violence.
Hochul returned Sunday morning to True Bethel Baptist Church, the congregation she credited with restoring her faith in continuing in the political arena following a difficult 2012 election loss when she tried to retain her seat in Congress.
“Right after I lost that seat in Congress, I thought this was the end of the path the Lord had for me in public service. I came here, and you restored my faith. You gave me hope,” Hochul told the congregation at the 10 a.m. service in the East Ferry Street church.
Hochul said she realized then that she had to put herself in God’s hands, and it ultimately led to her becoming the first governor from Buffalo in more than a century.
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Hochul spoke for about five minutes before returning the stage to the Rev. Darius G. Pridgen, True Bethel pastor and Buffalo Common Council president. She was joined at the service by state Sen. Timothy M. Kennedy, D-Buffalo; Mayor Byron W. Brown; and state Assembly Majority Leader Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes, D-Buffalo, a member of True Bethel. The governor touched upon Mary Burnett Talbert, the Buffalo civil rights activist who helped found the Niagara Movement, precursor to the NAACP, and praised People-Stokes for making history as the first black woman to serve as Assembly majority leader.
Hochul said she would count on support from True Bethel congregants to reduce gun-related deaths and injuries across the state.
“I want you to know I’m committed to fighting gun violence in our streets, and I need you with me. We’re going to take that fight to Albany and say, ‘Every life matters.’ We no longer want to be burying our children from this place or anywhere else in the state of New York,” she said.
Hochul’s first executive budget set aside $224 million to combat gun violence, including increased funding for local law enforcement efforts; $13.1 million to expand the use of state troopers working alongside local police officers; and $25 million for hospital-based and street outreach programs aimed at providing wrap-around services for youth, job-readiness training and work-placement training.
“I will not forget the people who gave me my chance. I understand there are still young kids who need a different path in life. And, yes, it’s through education. But they need an alternative to the streets, some of our young men. They need to know that there’s a better path that God has for them, that they can find a way. So yes, education, but some of those other programs, the violence disrupters, the workforce program,” said Hochul, who mentioned the Northland Workforce Training Center on Northland Avenue, near the church.
Hochul did not discuss any specifics about her proposed budget or address the status of negotiations with the Buffalo Bills over a new stadium, and she declined through a spokesman to field media questions after the service.
