Senator Gallivan Says New State Budget Fails Taxpayers and Middle-Class Families

Senator Patrick M. Gallivan (R-C-I, Elma) says the just adopted 2019-20 state budget includes billions of dollars in new taxes and spending that will make it even more difficult for hardworking, middle-class taxpayers to provide for their families and make ends meet.  The budget also includes a multitude of unfunded mandates that will drastically hamper the viability of local governments, and will enact changes to New York’s criminal justice system, which will enhance the rights of criminals over victims and law-abiding citizens.

“With the support of the new Senate Majority, the Governor and the Assembly have adopted a budget which will hurt hard-working middle-class families and negatively impact public safety,” Senator Gallivan said.  “The combination of new taxes and fees will make it even more expensive to live, work and raise a family in New York and will likely force more residents to flee the state.” 

New taxes and fees to be enacted in the state budget include:

• A new tax on internet purchases;
• A new tax on prescription drugs;
• A new commuter in NYC;  
• A new tax on rental vehicles;
• A new tax on real estate transactions;
• A new grocery bag tax;
• A new energy tax; and
• A planned taxpayer-funded political campaign system.

The budget includes $65 million in funding for local roads, while fronting the MTA $100 million to pave the way for implementation of the new commuter tax. It establishes a new Aid to Municipalities (AIM) funding source, which will cost counties $59 million.

Despite many assurances by the Governor and the Democratic Majorities in the Legislature, the state budget fails to reject various unfunded mandates, and most notably excludes adequate funding needed to implement the state’s early voting mandate. The New York State Board of Elections estimates that early voting will cost $175 million, a number far greater than the $25 million local governments will receive from the state. This reckless action will put additional pressure on towns, villages, and counties to raise taxes or cut essential services.

The final budget also includes:

• Fully funding an initiative to provide free college tuition for undocumented immigrants, while rejecting an increase in Tuition Assistance Program funding that would help middle-class families afford college;
• Disproportionately underfunding school aid, with a far greater amount dedicated to New York City schools, effectively shorting aid for every other part of the state.

“I remain concerned about changes being made to our criminal justice system. We must hold perpetrators of violent crime responsible for their actions and support crime victims and their families,” Senator Gallivan said.  “We must avoid criminal justice policies that are unworkable and that will ultimately fail the very people and communities they were intended to benefit.”

Since the beginning of the 2019 session, Senator Gallivan and his colleagues in the Minority have offered various budget amendments and proposals to control the cost and size of government, including:

• Balancing the budget without raising or creating new taxes and fees;
• Enshrining the state spending cap into law;
• Accelerating and protecting the historic Middle Class Income Tax Cut, which has already saved New Yorkers $770 million, and is one of the largest and most important tax cuts in state history;
• Implementing significant business and energy tax cuts and regulatory reforms, so that there are fewer obstacles to creating new jobs in New York;
   

“While I support increased aid to education and the decision to make New York’s property tax cap permanent, this budget does not do enough to control spending or reform costly regulations. In the end, I simply could not support a budget that raises taxes and increase spending by billions of dollars,” Senator Gallivan said. 

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