News Release: Sen. Hinchey Ulster Chamber Breakfast Guest Jan. 22

Ulster County business leaders will be given an early update on the agenda for the 2026 NYS Legislative Session when three-term Sen. Michelle Hinchey addresses the Chamber’s first networking breakfast of the year on Jan. 22.

The breakfast, sponsored by Ulster Savings Bank, is scheduled from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. at The Venue Uptown at the Best Western Plus Kingston. Hinchey said affordability would be the theme of the morning.

“Our goal is to improve the quality of life in the Hudson Valley so families can achieve economic stability with an opportunity for growth,” Hinchey said. “When families are financially stable and see a path for growth, they can support local businesses, our communities are safer, and local economies grow. Businesses are at the heart of that prosperity—they create local jobs, provide essential services, and attract visitors, which drives our region’s economy.”

“Being a small business or nonprofit can be incredibly hard right now, and we need to do everything we can as a state to make it easier for small businesses to stay open and nonprofits to continue serving their communities,” she said.

Hinchey, a Saugerties Democrat who won a third two-year term in the Senate in November 2024, said while the federal government is causing instability and making it hard for local businesses and non-profits to plan, she will make utility affordability a “top priority” in 2026.
“I’m advancing bills to make the Public Service Commission more accountable to residential and commercial ratepayers, ensuring that affordability is central to their decisions and that small businesses have more protections,” she said.

A Saugerties native and former executive in the technology and media fields before entering politics, Hinchey is the daughter of the late U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey. She is a graduate of the Industrial and Labor Relations School at Cornell University.

The 41st Senate District Hinchey represents includes most of Ulster and Northern Dutchess counties and all of Greene and Columbia counties.
 
Chamber Breakfast Meetings are a great way to stay on top of current events and connect with other local business leaders. Reservations are required. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door for Chamber members ($45 for non-members.) For more information, contact the Chamber at (845) 338-5100 or go online at www.ulsterchamber.org.