Statement From Senator Mike Martucci

Albany, NY — State Senator Mike Martucci released the following statement today in response to the Senate and Assembly Democrat Majorities’ one-house budget resolutions:

“The Senate and Assembly one-house budgets are a huge bait and switch on hardworking families. While seemingly full of things most New Yorkers support — like increased school aid and fair wages for home care workers, hidden just below the surface is a massive and unnecessary tax increase. 

“The Federal Government's COVID relief package provided our state with $12.7 billion. That is more than enough for us to meet all our priorities and then some. Why are Senate and Assembly Democrats piling on with tax increases on utilities and insurance which will end up being passed on to hardworking New Yorkers in the form of higher rates? The answer is simple. Their default position is higher taxes and more spending. 

“To further illustrate that fact, the Majorities also include additional taxes on businesses who are still trying to recover from the COVID recession. Requiring businesses to pay more, especially at a time when they are still struggling, only serves to destroy our hopes of a strong and expedited economic recovery. They are using the cover of the Cuomo scandals and COVID to pull a fiscal fast one. I cannot support that, and therefore, I am forced to oppose the Senate's budget resolution.“As we move toward a final budget, I'm hopeful that my Majority colleagues will step back from this ideological approach to governance and embrace bipartisanship and common sense instead. That's what my constituents want and that's what our state and our country need now more than ever." 
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