State Budget Passes Senate – Senator Panepinto Praises Key Wins for Western New York, Criticizes Process

Panepinto: “Never again should we conduct the people’s business like this.”

ALBANY, N.Y. – Senator Marc Panepinto released the following statement outside Senate Chambers:

“While I am proud of a budget that provides increased investment in our aging infrastructure, protection of the STAR program, and extends the Brownfields tax credits to continue Western New York’s economic renaissance, this budget process was fundamentally flawed. Never again should our state government resort to political hijacking tactics like linking high stakes testing and flawed teacher evaluations to essential school district funding and ethics reforms. Never again should our state government and Albany insiders place petty partisanship and ‘business as usual’ ahead of meaningful bottom-up economic initiatives that would help all New Yorkers prosper and close the income inequality gap. It is unconscionable that the Republican Majority failed to address common sense issues like raising the minimum wage, funding paid family leave, and finally ending the devastating Gap Elimination Adjustment. Unfortunately, we did not accomplish any of these priorities which are critical for New York’s middle class. Instead, the legislature passed a budget in the dark of night which threatens to fundamentally alter our public education system for the worse.”