A $220 Billion New York State budget was agreed to by Governor Kathy Hochul, State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, picutred above. The budget, which was approved one week late, calls for changes that Hochul wanted to bail and criminal justice reform, a 16 cent per gallon gas tax repeal, more funding for child care subsidies, $600 million for a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills, and three casino commercial licenses, one of which is believed to be for MGM Casino -Yonkers Raceway, which would allow full scale gaming and sports book.
“As we make our comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic we are embracing this once-in-a-generation opportunity to usher in a whole new era for New York, with a bold budget that brings much-needed economic relief to New Yorkers and looks to the future with historic investments in education, health care and infrastructure,” Governor Hochul said. “This agreement brings us closer to an enacted budget and makes good on our promise of a stronger, safer, more inclusive and more prosperous New York State. I thank Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Heastie for this collaborative process. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in state government to enact a budget that delivers for all New Yorkers.”
Changes to the criminal justice and bail reforms passed in 2019 in this year’s state budget include giving judges more leeway in the sentencing of repeat offenders and those who have a history of gun use.
Members of the progressive-democratic wing of the state legislature had asked for more funding for social programs and an opposition to any changes in bail reform. Several democrats in the senate and assembly voted no to the budget in protest. “At the last hour, the Governor had not trouble finding $350 million in a slush fund that she will control, and had no trouble finding hundreds of millions for a handout to the billionaire owner of the Buffalo Bills. Governor Hochul has made it clea that her only real interest is in appealing to the rich,” said State Senator Jabari Brisport.
NYC-DSA, Democratic Socialists of America, said about the final budget, “Governor Kathy Hochul has failed New York’s working class majority. This year—due to recent increases in taxes, historic economic growth, and a massive infusion of federal funds—New York faced historic budget surpluses projected out for several years. This represented an enormous opportunity for the working people of New York. Despite this promise, Governor Hochul’s budget allocates the surplus to a billionaire sports team owner, to property owners, to ongoing corporate subsidies which generate little to no economic growth, and to further destroy our environment by lifting the gas tax.
“Meanwhile, the Governor claims to be concerned about public safety, but has instead pursued policies that have little to do with making communities safer, and everything to do with scapegoating people of color from our state’s poorest and most disinvested communities. In the years to come, an overcrowded Rikers Island will become home to more individuals whose only crime is poverty: mothers trying to get diapers for their children, teenagers riding the train, and others just struggling to get by in a city that has become more unequal than ever before.”
The other complaint from democrats is that the budget does not included undocumented workers or their children from any of the new programs or budget increases to existing programs. “Given the surplus, the Gov could have invested in tenants & stopped mass evictions, expanded health care to undocumented neighbors, protected communities from climate change, raised wages for homecare workers, & made CUNY free,” was the call of many NYC progressive democrats.
NYPD, PBA President Pat Lynch called the criminal justice reform changes, “political window dressing that won’t do much to change the reality on our streets.”
The $220 Billion budget is a 3% spending increase over the 2021 plan. Federal COVID bailout funds and increased revenues helped fund the budget increase. The approved budget has no new tax increases.
State spending on child care was one of the largest increases to an existing program, now with $5 Billion in state funding. Thousands of families, earning up to $85,000 will benefit from the increased funding, but not undocumented families and their children. Governor Hochul explained when questioned that “child care is not a universal right in New York,” for many documented residents of the state and their children.
The 16 cent state gas tax will be repealed from June -December, lowering the cost at the pump this summera and fall for New Yorkers
Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, said, “I think that it is a thoughtful package that reacts not just to a narrative, but actually reacts to the need for people to feel safe. And for us really to address the gun crime.”
MGM, the owners of Empire Casino at Yonkers Raceway stated, “We are thrilled that Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature have reached an agreement to allow the state to issue the available commercial casino licenses. MGM Resorts looks forward to responding to the anticipated Request for Applications and is excited by the opportunity to bring thousands of quality jobs and meaningful private investment to Westchester and the region.”
Other parts of the budget include; Home care health workers were given a $2 per hour raise. $800 million was included for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, but no funding for housing vouchers for those facing eviction.
