STATEMENT FROM SENATOR GEORGE BORRELLO ON 2024-25 STATE BUDGET
ALBANY, NY – Senator George Borrello released the following statement on the passage of the 2024-25 New York State Budget:
“This week a new Marist poll was released that found New Yorkers are more pessimistic than ever about the quality of life in the Empire State. Governor Hochul’s approval is at its lowest point since taking office and 59 percent think New York is headed in the wrong direction.
Unfortunately, the state budget put together by the governor and Democratic leaders just plods down the same failed path. It does nothing to improve affordability, the migrant crisis, public safety, or our economy. It will do nothing to stop or slow the outmigration of our residents and businesses.
The $237 billion state budget is bigger than the budgets of Florida and Texas combined and represents the second highest per capita spending plan in the nation. Democrats claim that their runaway spending will improve affordability and the quality of life in the state. This has been their argument every year for the past five years, as they inflated the state budget by nearly 40 percent. Yet, the benefits haven’t materialized. Just the opposite. Our highest-in-the-nation taxes have increased, the state’s debt has continued to grow, and experts rank our ‘economic outlook’ as the worst of all 50 states.
The budget misses the mark on public safety as well. The governor’s push to include stronger penalties for assaulting a retail worker will have little to no impact. This new offense, a low-level class E felony, is still not even a bail eligible crime and will do nothing to deter thieves. Democrats keep nibbling around the edges of the crisis their revolving door policies have created, but none of their efforts take a bite out of crime.
Nothing underscores how emboldened criminals have become than the recent attacks on law enforcement, which resulted in the deaths of four officers and serious injuries for two. This already high-risk job has become even more dangerous under Democrats ‘no consequences’ policies. I proposed an amendment to the budget to reinstate the death penalty for cop-killers, which Democrats disappointingly voted down. Our brave police officers are the only thing that stands between us and complete lawlessness. We should be sending a message that violence against them will be met with the harshest penalty.
Housing was a major focal point of this year’s budget and the reason it is overdue. While the budget allocates hundreds of millions of dollars in incentives to encourage the development of affordable housing, it has adopted a measure, so-called ‘good cause eviction,’ which will undercut those development efforts. This socialist ‘good cause’ measure will limit the control landlords can exert over their own properties through requirements like automatic lease renewals and capped rent increases. Tenants in New York already have disproportionate control in rental situations. This measure will only exacerbate the challenges of property owners.
In a budget of this size, there will always be worthwhile restorations and funding. We prevailed in our fight for the restoration of the “save harmless” standard in the distribution of school foundation aid, which was particularly important for our rural schools. Altogether, education funding will increase by $1.3 billion. However, the governor’s proposed decrease to the inflation calculation will remain an issue that could impact schools.
It was also gratifying to see that several increases and restorations we fought for were included in the final budget, including funding for agriculture programs, libraries, and AIM funding for local governments to help stabilize property taxes.
I am glad that our voices were heard in opposition to the New York Home Energy Affordable Transition Act (HEAT Act), resulting in its elimination from the final budget. This measure would have accelerated the dismantling of our natural gas infrastructure, which would have cost us jobs, raised rates and deprived New Yorkers of our most affordable, reliable energy source.
Despite our strong opposition to the RAPID Act, which would further reduce local control of renewable energy transmission projects, this measure was regrettably included in the budget.
The most glaring issue in this budget is the $2.4 billion allocated to address New York City's ongoing 'migrant crisis,' a problem created by Democrats’ refusal to revoke our 'sanctuary' status. This self-created problem not only drains taxpayer resources daily but also contributes to rising crime rates and overcrowding in city shelters, schools, and hospitals. During budget discussions, some argued that there wasn't enough money to increase funding for essential infrastructure and support for vulnerable citizens. Yet, those needs could have been met if the $2.4 billion was used to help New Yorkers rather than individuals who have violated our nation's laws. This is an unsustainable situation, and it is alarming that Democrats only solution is to keep throwing billions at the problem.
The change that New Yorkers keep asking for and that our state needs for a strong future isn’t in this budget. Political pandering to the radical left has taken the place of common sense in New York and the results speak for themselves.”
