New York State Budget

On this week’s Gazette: A new financial forecast released by the governor’s budget office shows future deficits doubling next year. Also, the Olympic Regional Development Authority responds to a recent report raising questions about investments in its facilities.

Although North Country state representatives are not happy about the process, they are encouraged by the potential impact the new state budget should have on northern New York.

Environmental groups in New York are praising the newly passed state budget, saying it will help the environment and projects to support municipalities and increase diversity.

The big news out of Albany last week was Governor Hochul’s announcement of a “conceptual” budget deal. The governor said that she and the state’s legislative leaders had agreed to a final budget that would spend $229 billion and that the agreement would include changes to the state’s bail law, increase the minimum wage, add to the number of active charter schools, and provide a state infusion of cash for the beleaguered Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Groundhog’s Day of New York politics comes in early April when the governor and state lawmakers are at loggerheads on the budget and need to do a short-term “extender.” That’s where we are this week. The state budget was supposed to be approved by April 1, but like recent ones, it’s late. The extender allows negotiators to keep working on a deal while ensuring that the state’s workers continue to be paid.

WAMC's Ian Pickus speaks with New York State Senator Jake Ashby, a Republican from the 43rd district.

April 1st, the first day of New York State’s fiscal year, came and went this weekend with no state budget agreement. It has been a few years since the state budget was approved on-time, with all recent ones enacted in the first half of April.

New York State’s fiscal year begins on April 1st – one of the earliest deadlines in the nation. Governor Hochul kicked off the budget process by unveiling her plan on February 1st. The state Legislature then convened public hearings to examine the governor’s plans. In response, last week the Senate and Assembly released their respective budget plans.

With just over two weeks before the new fiscal year, the two chambers of the New York state Legislature have released their proposed budgets.

Local New York State theater and arts executives, and area political leaders, made their case for $20 million in state funding at a recent press conference at the Palace Theatre in Albany.