10th Budget Extender; Well Over a Month Late; Hochul Claims Budget Deal While Legislature Says No
Watch floor Comments from Assemblyman Palmesano Here
From the Office of NY State Assemblyman Phil Palmesano,
Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C-Corning), the ranking member of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, blasted the state budget process as the Legislature passed its 10th budget extender and Gov. Hochul announced a budget agreement. The two legislative leaders were not present for the announcement and confirmed there is no agreement. Palmesano says the process has become unsustainable and is clouded in secrecy. The budget is currently over a month late and will be the latest state budget since 2010.
“We are looking at spending more than a quarter trillion dollars, and the budget has been held up by non-budget related policy discussions. School districts, municipalities, community organizations and taxpayers have been impacted by this delay. And now the governor announces an agreement that legislative leaders say does not exist. This is just another example of the dysfunctional and broken budget process.
“We owe New York families and businesses better. We owe them more. We owe them transparency, responsibility and accountability. This budget should have passed on time before the April 1st deadline, and is now mired in a back and forth between the governor and the legislature who are from the same party. As elected officials we owe it to the public to pass a budget that follows the legally required three-day aging process so legislators can thoroughly review and analyze each budget bill before voting on them.
“New Yorkers are not just looking for the budget to be finished-they are looking for a budget process they can trust. This shouldn’t be a race to the finish line. Unfortunately, the broken budget process in New York continues to fail them.
“As we get ready to pass the largest budget in New York’s history, I repeat my call to the governor and legislative leaders to remind them, we do not have a revenue problem in New York. We have a spending problem. I urge them to remember this is not their money they are spending; this is the people’s money, and they need to recognize that as this final budget works toward completion and adoption. New York families and businesses deserve nothing less,” said Palmesano.
Assemblyman Palmesano represents the 132nd District, which includes Schuyler County, Yates County and parts of Chemung County, Seneca County and Steuben County. For more information about Assemblyman Palmesano, please follow him on Facebook.
