REACTION: Officials weigh-in on state budget

New York state legislators approved a record $229 billion budget just over a month late.

Here are some comments from officials about the budget:

SUB HED: Budget delivers in many ways

“I came to Albany to fight for Long Island to get its fair share, and I’m proud that this budget delivers on numerous priorities that will boost Long Island businesses and protect local resources. This budget reflects my commitment to improving the lives of Long Islanders by prioritizing affordability and economic opportunity. These investments are an important step towards a better future for all New Yorkers. We are dedicated to investing in our children by fully funding Foundation Aid, bringing more money to the suburbs for free Pre-K, and further expanding the Child Tax Credit and free school lunches to save families more money.”

— Senator Kevin Thomas

SUB HED: Budget invests in mental health support

“Unfortunately, this budget falls far short of what New Yorkers deserved — both in terms of the process and in terms of the results. We are now beholden to a budget that was written behind closed doors, is full of policy items and is more than 30 days past due. Despite the many flaws of this nearly $230 billion budget, as Ranking Member on the Senate Mental Health Committee, I was pleased to see a significant investment in mental health.”

— Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick

SUB HED: No tax decreases in budget

“The budget that passed, like all budgets, has good provisions and bad provisions. Among the good are the tweaks to bail reform, a 10 percent increase to public school funding, the restoration of non-public school funding and the fact the Legislature defeated Gov. Hochul’s disastrous housing compact. Additionally, amendments to cashless bail policies are a significant step forward in making our neighborhoods safe again. The bad part is that this budget is the largest in state history, contains no tax decreases and was decided behind closed doors resulting in it being more than a month late.”

— Assemblyman Brian Curran

SUB HED: First time school aid fully delivered

With this 2023-24 budget, New York has reached a remarkable milestone. The foundation aid formula, first created in 2007 and intended to provide a sound basic education for all students, is fully funded for the first time. This achievement cannot be overstated and must not be overlooked. We are disappointed, however, that the budget does not include funding to begin the process of updating the foundation aid formula and the decades-old data that drives it.

— Robert Schneider, executive director, New York State School Boards Association

SUB HED: Hospitals need workforce flexibility

“Workforce flexibilities and other provisions that our hospitals desperately need were not included in the budget. Nearly all hospitals continue to utilize workforce flexibilities, especially use of out-of-state workers and some scope of practice changes that were granted temporarily in the wake of the pandemic. We will continue to press the legislature during the post-budget session to make these permanent.”

— Wendy Darwell, president/CEO, Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State

SUB HED: Meeting students’ needs

“The School Administrators Association of New York State is pleased to see key education priorities in the enacted state budget. SAANYS is particularly supportive of the restoration of full funding for Foundation Aid based on the statutory formula. The increase of $34.5 billion will support schools as they continue to experience post-pandemic challenges and work to meet increased student needs.”

— School Administrators Association of New York State

SUB HED: Crime not addressed

"Kathy Hochul continues to have her head in the sand on crime. The changes made in her budget are just window dressing. New York remains the only state in the nation where judges cannot make a bail decision based on the dangerousness of the defendant. Democrats failed to address the havoc the discovery rules have caused for prosecutors. Even Alvin Bragg called for changes to the discovery laws to no avail.”

— Ed Cox, NYS GOP chair

SUB HED: Historic funding for environment

“The additional $500 million in water infrastructure funding and maintaining the Environmental Protection Fund at a historic $400 million will provide local governments, community partners, and state agencies with the means to ensure clean water for communities, protect natural resources, and enhance DEC’s ability to engage the public in environmental justice and other critical issues. The budget’s new climate initiatives prioritize affordability and support innovative ways to achieve our ambitious renewable energy requirements as the state transitions from fossil fuel sources.”

— Basil Seggos, commissioner, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

SUB HED: Childcare wins in the budget

“Governor Hochul has demonstrated that she intimately understands how important it is for New York’s families, especially New York’s mothers, to have the child care they need. The wins this budget contains for families underscore her commitment to improving our child care system for parents across the state. These include: extending eligibility for assistance to pay for child care to families earning up to 85% of the state median income ($93,258 for a family of four), capping copays, the development of an online application, and the elimination of some administrative barriers that prevent families from receiving the help they need. Crucially, this budget also contains a small pilot program to help the families of children who are currently excluded due to their immigration status access childcare. These measures will make a tangible difference in the lives of children and families.”

— Empire State Campaign for Child Care

SUB HED: Charter schools shouldn’t be funded

“The Governor's initial proposal, which in addition to reauthorizing ‘zombie’ charters, was extreme and would have created chaos and destabilized all New York’s education system, including both public and privately run charter schools. With the decline of school age children, pushing to open more schools with not enough students to attend them would have set everyone up for failure. As it is, the reauthorization of ‘zombie’ charters will cost New York City’s public school system tens of millions a year going forward.”

— Jasmine Gripper, executive director, Alliance for Quality Education

— Compiled by Mark Nolan