NY Gov. Kathy Hochul signs bill creating reparations commission despite concerns of 'racial divisions'
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill Tuesday establishing a commission to study reparations for slavery.
New York lost the most residents in the past year compared to any other state in the country, according to new U.S. Census Bureau data released Tuesday.
Of the eight states that saw their populations fall in 2023, New York lost the most, seeing 101,984 people depart the Empire State.
That was followed by California, which lost 75,423 residents, Illinois, which lost 32,826, and Louisiana, at 14,274. Pennsylvania saw 10,408 residents leave the state, while Oregon saw 6,021 move away. Hawaii lost 4,261, and West Virginia lost 3,964, according to the new Vintage 2023 population estimates.
House Republican Conference Chairwoman Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., on Thursday said the mass exodus from New York demonstrated "the consequences of Far Left Democrat leadership."
RED STATES SEE 2023 POPULATION GROWTH AS AMERICANS FLEE BLUE STATES, CENSUS DATA SHOWS
The sun rises on the skyline of midtown Manhattan and the Empire State Building in New York City on Dec. 12, 2023, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
"Far Left Kathy Hochul and Albany Democrats have made New York so unlivable that our state leads the nation in population loss with more than 102,000 residents leaving in one year alone," Stefanik said in a statement. "With record crime and cost of living far beyond the national average, New York’s mass exodus is far from over. If Far Left Democrats in Albany don’t start putting the safety and prosperity of New Yorkers before their extremist agenda, there will be no more residents left to tax and fund their radical, socialist programs."
Fox News Digital reached out to Hochul's office for comment, but they did not immediately respond.
Collectively, the eight states that saw declines had a population loss of 249,161 in 2023, compared to a loss of 509,789 in 2022.
While many of these states have lost population annually since 2020, their population declines have slowed, the U.S. Census Bureau reported.
Meanwhile, as of early December, New York City has recorded an influx of more than 150,100 migrants from the southern border since the spring of 2022, according to the New York Times. And New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ office has been working with Hochul toward resettling those asylum seekers across the state.
As of July 2023, New York still ranked as the fourth most populous state in the nation, with more than 19.5 million residents.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation creating a commission for the study of reparations in New York on Dec. 19, 2023, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The report released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday shows red states in particular saw population growth in 2023, as Americans flee blue states.
As more states experience population increases, that growth is no longer concentrated in only a few states, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. For example, four southern states – Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Georgia – accounted for 93% of the nation’s population growth in 2022, but only 67% in 2023.
Rep. Elise Stefanik blasted New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state's far left leadership for the mass exodus of residents seen in 2023. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Texas experienced the largest numeric change in the nation, adding 473,453 people, followed by Florida, which added 365,205 residents.
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South Carolina and Florida were the two fastest-growing states in the nation, growing by 1.7% and 1.6%, respectively, in 2023.
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