Governor Hochul's Budget Continues State's Overtaxing, Overspending Issues

“New York State has a spending and taxing problem. State government spends more than the combined budgets of Texas and Florida, despite having less residents than either state. New York regularly rates as having among the worst tax-and-business climates in the nation. Instead of taking those long-term systemic issues on, Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget proposal only continues these trends. 

“There was a real chance to restore some fiscal sanity to state government and rein in spending. Instead, this budget comes in at a massive $227 billion, $5 billion more than last year. The governor proposes $1 billion in state funding for assistance to illegal immigrants and on top of this, wants to pocket $1 billion in Enhanced Federal Medical Assistance (eFMAP) funding. This money was intended to provide direct federal assistance to local governments to help keep healthcare costs down. With this maneuver, the governor will put increased financial strain on local governments and force property tax increases.  

“On the positive side, the governor commits to increased education aid. The 10 percent increase in funding would prove crucial to our schools and help ensure our teachers and students have all the resources they need. For the Adirondacks, the governor proposes $6.3 million for the APA and $560.3 million in new funds for the DEC. If these items make it into the final state budget, it will be a major victory for our communities and ensuring the natural beauty of the North County can be maintained and appreciated for years to come. 

“The policy inclusions in Governor Hochul’s proposal are mixed. On the plus side, she adopted language to exempt the Adirondack and Catskill Parks from the state’s controversial gun control laws. I’ve been calling for this since last summer and I’m pleased to see it included. The governor also addressed bail reform by calling for an end to the “least restrictive” standard for judges. This is a good start, but more must be done to strengthen public safety and I hope the governor and Legislature can take further action when negotiating a final budget. While I agree with the governor that affordable housing is a major issue, her plan has two major flaws. First, it doesn’t address the root cause of why housing is so expensive: the high cost of construction and development in New York State. The second problem is that her plan would usurp local control and zoning laws. Simply put, that is a bad idea. 

“Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget is the start of what will be a lengthy process. In the weeks ahead, we’ll see the Senate and Assembly one-house budgets and I’ll be taking part in budget hearings. As we work toward the final state budget, I will remain focused on ensuring it best represents our taxpayers and our values.”