(ROCHESTER, NY) - Senator Jeremy Cooney (D-Rochester) today announced the passage of the State Senate’s “one-house” budget proposal, an outline of priorities for the upcoming FY27 state budget negotiations with the Governor and the Assembly. Senator Cooney explained that several provisions in the budget resolution would directly impact Rochester and Monroe County.

“While Donald Trump and Washington Republicans cut benefits and raise prices for working Americans, here in Albany we are laser-focused on affordability and quality of life,” said Senator Cooney. “From housing and supporting our students, to providing for working families and investing in the future of transportation, this is a budget that understands Rochester and that prioritizes Rochester. I’ll keep fighting to get these innovative investments included in the final state budget and continue working to make Rochester, Monroe County and New York State a place everyone can succeed and thrive.” 

Below are some priorities of Senator Cooney that are included in the budget resolution:

Direct Funding to projects across Monroe County: 

• $300 million for High Falls through the Rochester-Monroe Transformation Initiative. Governor Hochul included her support for this substantial investment into the new High Falls State Park and the surrounding neighborhoods in her Executive Budget. The Senate included this funding, and modified language which would give the City of Rochester greater flexibility to use funding towards public safety initiatives in the park and district. 
• $4 million for Garth Fagan Dance to support a permanent home for the world-renowned dance company in Downtown Rochester. Garth Fagan, the multi-award-winning Black choreographer most known for his work on Broadway’s The Lion King, founded Garth Fagan Dance in 1970. This funding would be used for upgrades at the school, ensuring it can remain a cornerstone for dancers, students, and community members for decades to come. 
• $300,000 for Ibero-American Action League to retain four staff members to support families facing the risk of deportation or legal uncertainty by providing safety planning and rapid response support services for families from the Migrant Relocation Assistance Program (MRAP). 
• $23 million for The Inner Loop North Redevelopment Project.
• $375,000 for Lifespan of Greater Rochester to support their efforts to care for our community’s older adults and to combat elder abuse. 

Housing Access and Affordability: 

• An increase of $200 million, for a total of $250 million, for the Housing Access Voucher Program. Currently, nearly 50% of renters in Monroe County are rent-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their monthly income on rent. This program would subsidize rent for those most in need and help our families and individuals avoid homelessness. 
• Inclusion of Senator Cooney’s New York First Home Savings Program (S.1157). Senator Cooney’s bill authorizes prospective first time homebuyers to establish savings accounts specifically for the purpose of buying a home. Deposits into these accounts would be deducted against income taxes, up to $5,000 for individuals and up to $10,000 for married couples. These benefits apply to the purchase or construction of a house, townhouse, or condominium as long as the home is an individual’s primary residence for at least two years. 

Transportation Innovation, Equity, and Safety: 

• $10 million for a Workforce Transit Equity Fund. Senator Cooney has been pushing for this new fund to connect workers in inner cities to job opportunities in the suburbs, like the Fairlife in Webster and Micron, whose facility is outside Syracuse in Clay, NY. This fund would be dedicated for upstate transit systems and would cover the costs of direct routes to large employers for the first year of operation, after which costs would be covered by the employer. 
• 15% increase for public transit. This would mean an additional $75.8 million for upstate New York transit systems like RTS, funds that can be used for more frequent routes and efficiency. 
• Protecting Highway Workers. Senator Cooney has introduced legislation that would enhance assault protections for highway workers. The NYS Department of Transportation alone has seen 40 incidents of harassment or assault since 2022. Both Governor Hochul and the Senate included language to create new assault protections for these workers. 
• $4 million for RGRTA Expansion to Yates County.
• $25 million more for NYSDOT Region 4 roadway improvements, which covers the Finger Lakes and Monroe County

Uplifting Working Families and Expanding Childcare Access:

• $34 million in additional support for childcare pilot programs in upstate cities for children aged 0-3, for a total of $100 million. 
• $500 million to support the Child Care Worker Retention Grant Program, to address workforce shortages. 
• Additional $22 million for Emergency Food Assistance Programs, including Nourish NY and the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP), bringing total funding to $150 million.
• Additional $15 million for Special Nutrition Women, Infants and Children (WIC), providing $41.3 million total.

Education Investments: 

• Increased foundation aid for school districts, $285.3 million in additional funding for a total of $27.4 billion statewide. 
• $55 million increase for universal school meals program, for a total of $395 million. 
• Increase student transportation safety with $181.9 million increase in Transportation Aid reimbursements for high-needs schools.

Healthcare: 

• $1.5 billion in healthcare investments, including:
  • $500 million for financially distressed hospitals.
  • $270 million increase for nursing homes, assisted living programs, and hospice services, for a total of $470 million.
• $35 million for the Reproductive Freedom & Equity Grant Program, an increase of $10 million, ensuring access to reproductive healthcare as much of the country moves backwards on reproductive freedoms. 

Supporting the Mental Health Needs of Law Enforcement: 

• Senator Cooney passed legislation that would create mandatory paid leave when troopers are called to a “critical incident” that results in death or serious bodily harm. Governor Hochul used Senator Cooney’s bill as her model for this program in her budget proposal.

Ensuring Fair Representation in the 2030 Census:

• Senator Cooney has spearheaded efforts to prepare New York for the next Census with his New York Counts Act (S6898). New York has lost federal representation in every Census since 1950, and lost a seat in the 2020 Census by an undercount of a mere 89 individuals. The Senate one-house provides $30 million towards the New York State Office of the Census.

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