New York Passes State Budget After a Month-Long Delay

By Matis Glenn

New York State passed its $229 billion budget Tuesday night, following much debate and a month of extensions.

Gov. Kathy Hochul reached an agreement with the two Democrat-dominated legislative chambers, which includes funding increase for the public transportation in New York City, hospitals and nursing homes, and changes to the state’s controversial bail law reforms.

The budget also included a boost for school funding by over $2 billion, and an increase of the state’s minimum wage, to $17 per hour, to be raised periodically according to inflation.

Advocates for private school education celebrated the inclusion of funding for school meals regardless of income, which was announced last month by Hochul. Previously, only students who were from lower-income families were eligible.

“A lot of attention was given to the push for universal school meals by a large statewide coalition, which included the Agudah,” Agudath Israel said in a statement. “The legislative effort was led by Senator Michelle Hinchey and Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas. The final budget did not go nearly as far as was hoped, but will allow many schools and districts to serve free meals to all of their students, thanks to an allocation of $134 million.”

Other legislative priorities of the Agudah passed as well, including an expansion of childcare tax credits, funding for school and community safety, and a push to prevent budget cuts to Mandated Services Aid.

Tax credits for childcare were expanded to include children under the age of four.

Funding for security at religious schools was increased to $45 million, and an additional $25 million was granted to enhance security at religious community facilities and summer camps under the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes program.

Funding for Mandated Services Aid faced a potential 8% cut this year.

Pushed for by progressives and vehemently opposed by conservatives, the state’s budget also includes a law banning gas stoves and natural gas hookups in new construction units, making New York the first state in the nation to do so.

Despite many lawmakers dissenting, 14 new charter schools were approved in the budget.

“I would say when you take out some of the policy stuff, I think this checked a lot of boxes on the things that the members of the Assembly support,” Speaker Carl Heastie told Spectrum News. “Maybe not at the levels the members would have liked, but I would say probably this might be the best non-pandemic budget I’ve seen in my 23 years in the Assembly.”

A full billion dollars was allocated to New York City for shelters and other expenses related to the influx of migrants to the city.

“Safety-net hospitals,” medical facilities which treat people regardless of insurance or their ability to pay, were given an additional $500 million in funding. Brooklyn’s Maimonides and Downstate hospitals are included in that category.

Groups which support conservative fiscal policies were concerned with the budget.

“Overall, the budget weakens the State’s financial footing and does not include the governor’s bold, beneficial proposals to address the housing production and affordability crises,” Citizens Budget Commission President Andrew Rein said in a statement to Spectrum News. “New York needs to be both affordable and stable; this budget does not take the steps needed to get there.”