Bonacic:state Budget Controls Spending and Encourages Job Growth

State Senator John Bonacic (R/C/I – Mt. Hope) voted in support of the State budget, which prioritizes State spending and provides increases in State aid to education to all Schools in his Senate District.

The budget has passed the Senate over the past three days and is expected to receive final passage in the State Assembly tomorrow.  The budget contains the lowest middle class tax rates in 60 years, controls spending, avoids tax increases, and provides tax relief to middle class families.  The State budget reflects key priorities of Senate Republicans:

A Budget we can Afford that Meets the Priorities of Families Across New York

-           Maintains a cap on State spending – keeping increases below 2% - the third year in a row to do so;

-           Focuses on education – which Senate Republicans successfully worked to add nearly $1 billion in new funding for, increasing support of public schools by $421.7 million over Governor Cuomo's Executive Budget Proposal;

-           Increases aid to localities – including a $75 million increase in the CHIPS program for local roads and bridges - the first such increase in five years;

-           Authorizes Tax Rebate checks for middle class families with children.

“Controlling spending is key to growing New York’s economy and making life more affordable for our families,” Senator Bonacic said. 

 A Budget that Helps Businesses Grow  

-           Reduces energy taxes;

-           Enacts workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance reforms;

-           Enacts a tax credit for businesses that hire Veterans;

-           Reduces taxes on manufacturers;

-           Enacts the Market NY program to help get NY farm products to market.

A Budget that Supports Education

Two years ago, Senator Bonacic led the effort in the State to establish a tax structure that

reduced taxes for the middle class, while ensuring the highest earning New Yorkers paid their fair share.  Thanks to that effort, which Governor Cuomo and the Senate and Assembly eventually embraced, the State is able to provide substantial increases in aid this year to local schools.

-           Increases in aid to our local schools are as follows:

                        Delaware County Schools:     $3.3 million more in school aid;

                        Orange County Schools:         $14.6 million more in school aid;

                        Sullivan County Schools:        $4.5 million more in school aid;

                        Ulster County Schools:           $8.2 million more in school aid

Of the 28 schools that serve students in Senator Bonacic’s District, half received an aid increase of 5% or more, and 75% of schools received an increase in State aid of 4% or more.

“More school aid is the key to smaller class sizes with more qualified teachers.  Thanks to bi-partisan cooperation, Senate Republicans have led the effort to increase aid to our local schools,” Senator Bonacic said.

For the third year in a row, the State Legislature adopted a budget by the April 1 deadline.  Meanwhile, in Washington, partisan gridlock has failed all Americans.  “Bi-partisan government is working in New York. Governor Cuomo and Senate Republicans are partnering to address priorities across our State.  We need to continue this bi-partisan effort to achieve results that New Yorkers want and deserve to make New York stronger,” Senator Bonacic said.  

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