Typically in Albany, the legislative minority is unhappy with the opposing party’s session agenda. But after Gov. Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address on Tuesday, that wasn’t the case with Assembly Republicans. 

According to Minority Leader Will Barclay, the issues the governor raised are aligned with his conference’s agenda. 

“I was pleased with the governor’s State of the State and a number of issues that she raised. We’re talking about public safety; we’re talking about cost of living; and we’re talking about outmigration,” he told Capital Tonight. “I was thrilled to hear her mention those things and recognize that these are major issues New Yorkers are facing.”

Barclay is especially concerned about outmigration, which he said is the biggest issue facing New York state. 

“We lost 100,000 people last year. If we don’t focus on it, it screws up everything,” he said, referring to the shrinking tax base. 

His conference also has a to-do list of its own, which includes a comprehensive plan to deal with the influx of migrants.

“One thing I mentioned she could do right away is go and continue to press the Biden administration to secure the border so we don’t have migrants flooding into this country,” Barclay said.

Additionally, Barclay urges New York City Mayor Eric Adams to stop calling New York a sanctuary city and start allowing law enforcement to deport those who are in the country illegally. 

Finally, Barclay urged the administration to create an accounting of all the state money being spent on migrants. 

“We ought to have accountability,” he said.