By Ed Ra
The 2026 legislative session has come to a merciful end – with a sprint to the finish before collapsing under its own failures. In the waning days, Albany Democrats worked to pass laws in the middle of the night that gave more help to their own political interests than any practical solutions for New Yorkers.
The two-month-late, $268 billion budget left no time for measures to substantially improve the lives of New Yorkers. Democrats spent $14 billion more than last year, with $30 billion in out-year budget gaps and $2.5 billion in tax increases, all stemming from one of the most dysfunctional budget processes I’ve witnessed in my 16 years in the Assembly.
Instead of comprehensive solutions, Albany produced more debt, more division and more dysfunction. When New Yorkers demand action, One-Party Rule continues to ignore the priorities that matter most: lowering costs, improving public safety and making New York a place where families and businesses want to stay and grow.
As legislators return to their districts, Republicans will continue to deliver policies that make New York the great state it once was. It starts by bringing costs down, reducing regulatory burdens and restoring safety and order in all communities. Anything short of this is unacceptable for our residents.”
Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) is the Assembly Minority Leader.