Albany Democrats have once again proven that their dysfunction is the new normal.  After backroom political games and secretive negotiations, a budget passed nearly two months after the deadline that increases spending and creates new taxes. At a time when New Yorkers are already struggling with punishingly high taxes, rising utility bills, and increasing basic costs of living, they force taxpayers to pay more while doing too little to address the affordability crisis facing families across our state.

New Yorkers waited 56 days for a budget that fails the basic test: does it make our state more affordable, safer, and easier to live in?  

Governor Hochul and her Democratic legislators continue to measure success by how much it spends, rather than whether people can afford to stay here.  While any budget that is made up of thousands of pages and hundreds of billions of dollars will inevitably include some provisions that I support and have advocated for, on the whole, this budget did not address the root of New York’s affordability crisis–out of control tax and spend policies from Albany. 

A one-time rebate does not provide a long-term plan to lower everyday costs or climbing utility rates that have been caused by the governor’s lackluster leadership. 

The budget also fails on public safety. New Yorkers deserve laws that hold dangerous offenders accountable, protects victims, and restores common sense. One-party control in Albany continues to prioritize criminals over the safety of families and our communities. 

New Yorkers deserve responsible budgeting and a government that puts them first.