ALBANY – No Rush Here
In what’s becoming a familiar routine under Governor Kathy Hochul, a leading New York Democrat on Tuesday dismissed concerns over the state’s budget, which is nearing expiration. Apparently, this delay has become “built into people’s expectations.”
State Senator Michael Gianaris, who holds the position of No. 2 Senate Democrat, shared these insights while lawmakers were busy navigating Albany to push through another temporary funding extension—this time for an additional week.
Leaders in the legislature have yet to come to terms with Hochul on a substantial $263 billion budget that is due by April 1. Not surprisingly, many legislators were out of town for a pre-scheduled two-week break aligned with the Passover and Easter holidays, which likely contributed to both sides missing the deadline.
“I think it’s built into people’s expectations,” Gianaris (D-Queens) remarked, indicating lawmakers aren’t overly worried about the postponement.
He also commented, perhaps somewhat resignedly, “We’ve gotten used to it over the last few years. The budget hasn’t been catastrophically late, but it’s been a few weeks behind.” This remark came amidst members shuffling around as they hurried to extend the budget deadline.
Historically, Hochul’s budgets have faced delays, with last year’s proposal not arriving until May 8—the fifth consecutive year the state has missed its budget deadline.
Hochul’s office has indicated that discussions are likely to linger, especially since Tuesday’s extension pushes the deadline to April 14. This extension allows Paul, who won’t receive pay during this period, an extra week off before returning to Albany.
Meanwhile, Republican critics have expressed frustration, arguing that the Democrats’ nonchalant attitude has put local governments in a bind, making it difficult to create budgets without a clear idea of state funding.
“The longer this process continues, the harder it becomes to plan and budget effectively,” stated Rep. Phil Palmesano (R-Steuben), leading the Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee.
“This budget extension keeps the lights on, but it lacks direction for the residents in our districts,” he remarked during a legislative session.
As frustrations mounted, Palmesano pointed out that the ongoing budget discussions shouldn’t proceed the way they have been, with issues cropping up one after another.
Interestingly, many legislators didn’t even feel compelled to attend in person for the vote.
A veteran lobbyist, sitting in the nearly empty Senate lobby before the session, lamented, “This is the most ‘don’t care’ budget I’ve witnessed in 30 years.”
Tuesday morning saw legislative leaders in discussions with Hochul, and at the heart of the matter was her proposal to eliminate deadlines for meeting state climate change law requirements.
Gianaris characterized the progress in negotiations as “baby steps.”
Other sticking points include Hochul’s proposals regarding auto insurance liability and the contentious debate over whether to allow New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani to increase taxes.
