Criticism of state budget, praise falls on partisan lines

[ad_1]

The view of the state budget depends on where you sit in the state capitol in Albany.

For many Democrats, the spending plan finalized Wednesday with Governor Kathy Hochul signing key bills will bolster crime-fighting efforts, address the cost of living by raising the minimum wage and expanding the credit card. child tax. But Republican critics argue the final deal, more than a month past the April 1 deadline, falls short of the day-to-day concerns facing New Yorkers’ wallets and safety.

The fault lines in the final deal reflect how politics has crumbled along partisan lines: bail laws are either a wise tweak or a failure to provide state security; a plan to end natural gas hookups in new construction is a necessary tool to fight climate change, as opposed to a misguided plan that will drive up utility costs for consumers.

Hochul touted the deals in the final deal on Wednesday even as his efforts to expand housing in New York failed in negotiations. In New York, she pointed to provisions amending New York law that limit cash bail in criminal cases to give judges more discretion in criminal cases with serious charges.

“There’s a lot of energy around this as a turning point in the effort to give judges more discretion to make the right decision about whether they need bail, let someone go free or send him back to jail,” Hochul said.

Changing the bail law was called for by both Hochul and some Democratic lawmakers in the Legislature, as the crime has been part of a heated debate in New York politics.

Republican Senator Pat Gallivan, however, believes the final deal lacks teeth.

“It was just a clarification of language,” he said. “I think we have a long way to go to make this law work for all of our communities.”

But Democrats also had to compromise as top Senate and state Assembly leaders initially voiced opposition to bail changes. The balance, however, included measures such as raising the minimum wage and expanding the Child Tax Credit to cover families with children under 4.

“When you remove certain policy items, I think that ticks a lot of boxes on items that members of the Assembly support,” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said.

Hochul also had to compromise as fellow Democrats rejected his plan to expand housing by 800,000 units over the next decade. Hochul plans to continue pushing for parts of his housing contract in the coming weeks.

Yet Assemblyman Phil Palmesano hit the budget for failing to address the cost of living New Yorkers face.

“This affordability crisis continues to escalate and now we are implementing an energy plan that does not take affordability or reality into account,” Palmesano said.

Republicans like Assemblyman Matt Slater, meanwhile, pointed to New York’s budget as one of the most recent in more than a decade that includes changes to Medicaid costs that could lead to increases property tax at the county level.

“Honestly, I don’t think the wait was worth it and for the priorities of New Yorkers, this budget is very, very short,” Slater said.

[ad_2]