By Hank Russell
Once again, the state missed its April 1 deadline to have the budget. Many Republican members of the Assembly are seething at the fact that there is no budget to be delivered yet and, with the deadline also being April Fool’s Day, the joke is on the taxpayers.
Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed $252 billion budget was not approved by neither the Assembly nor the Senate. So, in order to keep the state going, a $1.7 billion budget extender was issued for now until April 3, according to a news report from News 10 in Albany.
The blame was being placed on Hochul by progressive organizations and elected officials, but it was not over spending. These groups were upset with Hochul over her vow to repeal the state’s current discovery laws. It was previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics that members of the GOP Assembly called for the governor to get rid of discovery reform as part of the budget. Those who oppose the discovery laws said the timeline in which prosecutors provide evidence to the defense is unreasonable and a defendant — regardless of the crime — can get off on a technicality if the prosecution fails to supply a vital piece of evidence.
Another point of contention in the budget was Hochul’s support of changing the way the mentally ill are dealt with. She, along with 36 state elected officials, signed a letter and sent it to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Mount Vernon) asking them to support Hochul’s plan to involuntary commit a mentally ill person who may be a danger to themselves or others. This proposal has been opposed by the Mental Health Association in New York State and The Alliance For Rights and Recovery.
“These proposals will traumatize more New Yorkers, especially those struggling with homelessness and mental illness, by extending policies that deploy police to make what are termed ‘mental hygiene arrests’ and initiate involuntary treatment,” the Alliance stated, according to The New York Post. “Involuntary hospitalizations are not the most appropriate way to provide the food, shelter, or long-term support people need and deserve.”
Meanwhile, Republican Assembly members were growing frustrated with Albany’s inability to pass the budget.
“Our state budget is supposed to be finalized and passed by April 1, 2025, yet here we are in Albany passing an emergency budget extender,” Keith Brown (R,C-Northport) said. “Our constituents deserve better than this. Over the next week or so, I will be speaking up for Long Islanders and residents throughout New York state. New Yorkers deserve a final budget that will create a safer, smarter and cleaner state.”
The last time the state passed a budget on time, said Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square). It was 2019. “[S]ince then, the process has only deteriorated. He blamed the Democrats for making back-door negotiations and “leaving New Yorkers in the dark.”
“Albany has missed the budget deadline, and it’s hard-working families on Long Island who feel the squeeze from rising costs and uncertainty,” Daniel Norber (R,C-Great Neck) added. “I get that governing sometimes means sacrifices, but with one party holding the reins, there’s no excuse for this gridlock. We need a budget that’s on time and focused on real relief, not more delays and overspending..”
According to Ra, out-year budget deficits will be at $27 billion. “New York has a serious structural imbalance that must be dealt with,” he said. “The state’s reckless spending continues unchecked, with no appetite for the fiscal responsibility that families and businesses practice every day. … Transparency, efficiency and fiscal responsibility are in critically short supply. This type of complacency is unacceptable in our state government, and any excuse for their inability to reach an agreement on time should not be tolerated.”