Hochul Admits She’s ‘Looking at Legislation’ on Prostitution but Offers No Clarity

Gov. Kathy Hochul made her position clear this week: she has no intention of pursuing any legislation that would legalize prostitution in New York. But while she delivered a firm “no” to legalization, her remarks left many questioning whether she fully understands the proposals actually before the state Legislature.

“We are not legalizing prostitution in the state of New York, full stop,” Hochul said Tuesday. “We are looking at legislation but we are not supportive of letting people who are committing the crimes of setting up systems where we have prostitution running rampant.”

Critics say Hochul’s statement oversimplifies a complex debate. The governor failed to specify which legislation she was referencing, leaving observers unclear on whether she even reviewed the actual bills being debated in Albany. Her comments painted with a broad brush, ignoring that neither of the active proposals before lawmakers creates a legalized, state-regulated prostitution industry.

One measure, backed by Assemblywoman Phara Souffrant Forrest and Sen. Julia Salazar and co-sponsored by mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, is called Cecilia’s Act for Rights in the Sex Trades. It would decriminalize consensual sex work between adults, meaning individuals would no longer face arrest for selling or purchasing sex.

Supporters compare it to marijuana reform where possession was decriminalized prior to the launch of a regulated cannabis market. The bill explicitly keeps protections against trafficking, coercion, and crimes involving minors.

The second bill, known as the Sex Trade Survivors Justice and Equality Act, takes the opposite approach, focusing on targeting buyers and traffickers while offering services to those engaged in sex work.

Despite these significant distinctions, Hochul lumped the conversation together as if all reform would lead to “prostitution running rampant.” By doing so, she dismissed a growing body of evidence - including arrest data from the NYPD - showing that criminalizing consensual adult sex work has failed to reduce the practice, while often making vulnerable individuals less safe.

Hochul’s outright rejection also appears politically convenient. Rather than engaging in the nuanced debate over how to best protect sex workers while combating trafficking, she sidestepped the details with a hardline soundbite. For a governor who often touts her progressive credentials, critics argue this position looks more like political posturing than serious policymaking.

Meanwhile, advocates for reform note that real human consequences are at stake. Current laws continue to funnel people into the criminal justice system for consensual activity while survivors of trafficking say criminalization hinders their ability to escape abuse. Reform efforts seek to address both realities, yet Hochul has reduced the conversation to a false choice between lawlessness and prohibition.

Her remarks also raise questions about leadership. If she is “looking at legislation,” as she claimed, New Yorkers deserve to know which bills she has reviewed and what alternative solutions she proposes. So far, she has provided no clarity.

In the absence of constructive engagement from the governor, the debate will continue to play out in the Legislature.

Hochul Admits She’s ‘Looking at Legislation’ on Prostitution but Offers No Clarity