Cuomo declares NY independent from federal government

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Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, in a fiery address on Monday, declared New York “independent” from the federal government.

Invoking the Revolutionary War, the third-term Democratic governor said the state must stand up to what he describes as “a federal assault” on the state’s values, while outlining his 20-point agenda for the coming legislative session.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this nation is in crisis. The social fabric is fraying and it is nearing its breaking point,” he said. “We must stand up to this tyranny once again. Not with muskets the way our founders did. But with our voices and our votes and with the power and example of our action here in New York.”

His agenda, which includes marijuana legalization, gun control measures, and environmental protections, is New York’s Declaration of Independence, Cuomo said.

“We disconnect from the nationalism, and the racism, and the chaos, and the xenophobia, and the misogyny, and the discrimination, and the dissembling of this Washington administration.

“As our forefathers rebelled against England resenting the king’s values and abuse, let us announce New York’s rebellion from the current federal policies,” he said.

Read more about his 2019 agenda here.