Funke: I Voted For a Balanced Budget that Delivers for Monroe & Ontario Counties

Senator Rich Funke today offered the following reaction to the passage of the 2016-17 New York State Budget.

"Today I voted for a state budget that cuts $4.2 billion in taxes for the middle class, supports initiatives to help local employers grow jobs, and fully-funds our region's top priorities, including education, infrastructure, and public safety," said Funke.

On taxes, Funke said:

"Our middle-class tax cut package- the most tax relief here in more than two decades- will slash tax rates to the lowest levels since WWII and make it easier for families, seniors, and businesses to succeed in our community. By putting more of your hard-earned tax dollars back in your pocket, the average middle class family here will save over $700 a year in real, permanent tax cuts."

On spending, Funke said:

"The budget is balanced, fiscally-responsible, and controls the size and cost of state government to stay under 2% growth in year-to-year spending."

On the minimum wage, Funke said:

"We fought and defeated the Governor's minimum wage proposal, delivering a common-sense solution that shields local employers from $15/hr while providing a fair wage for a fair day's work that reflects the true cost of living in our area."

On education, Funke said:

"The Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) is history and local schools will receive the full-funding they need to get every student job-ready for graduation. In fact, the more than $24 billion in education aid included in this budget represents the largest investment ever in our schools."

On transportation parity, Funke said:

"Upstate gets its fair share of transportation infrastructure funding, which will help fix our crumbling roads and bridges and support affordable public transit options in Rochester and across our region."

On the environment, Funke said:

"Because our natural resources contribute so much to our quality of life, I'm grateful this budget secures $300 million for the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and makes significant investments in water infrastructure to keep our residents and environment safe."

On compromise, Funke said:

"No budget is perfect, and there are parts of this package I don't like. But refusing to work across the aisle would have brought the worst of Albany dysfunction to us, when I'm committed to bringing the best of us to Albany. This budget is a common-sense solution that delivers for Monroe and Ontario counties-now more than ever, that's exactly what we need."