Senate Passes State Budget With Deputy Leader Gianaris’ Priorities – Including Free Bus Pilot, Build Public Renewables Act, And Stopping SUNY/CUNY Tuition Hike

ALBANY, N.Y. – Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris announced the newly-passed state budget included several of his top legislative priorities of the year. 

"I am proud the State Senate demonstrated its fortitude by minimizing the harm from bad policy proposals - including by rejecting tuition hikes for SUNY and CUNY - and by fighting for greater opportnities for New Yorkers, delivering the nation-leading Build Public Renewables Act, expanding the child tax credit, and righting the fiscal ship of the MTA while piloting free bus routes in the five boroughs,” said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris.

Transit: The budget includes elements of Senator Gianaris’ #FixTheMTA proposal, expanding service frequencies on the subway and launching a pilot program providing five free bus routes in New York City to enhance the customer experience.

SUNY/CUNY: Leadership at the city and state university systems had proposed tuition hikes for New Yorkers and Senator Gianaris successfully blocked the proposal.

 Affordability: Reducing the age of eligibility for New York’s Child Tax Credit from four to birth, which gives more families financial breathing room and expands access to childcare for immigrants and part-time workers.

 Energy and Environment: The budget includes the Build Public Renewables Act, championed by Senator Gianaris, which will lead to public green energy projects to comply with climate goals, and puts in law core tenants of the All Electric Buildings Act, which requires most new buildings to end the use of gas infrastructure.