What you should know
- This Thursday marks the extended deadline for New York lawmakers and Governor Kathy Hochul to reach an agreement on the state budget. The decision should have been taken three weeks ago, on April 1, but as no agreement was reached, emergency extensions had to be made three times.
- Lawmakers missed an initial deadline to pass a state budget due to disagreements over the governor’s proposals aimed primarily at changing the bail law and creating new housing.
- While Governor Hochul’s office prefers to remain silent on the status of negotiations for now, there are discussions within the legislature about some progress.
NEW YORK — This Thursday marks the extended deadline for New York lawmakers and Governor Kathy Hochul to reach an agreement on the state budget. The decision should have been taken three weeks ago, on April 1, but as no agreement was reached, emergency extensions had to be made on three occasions, the last being on Monday when it was decided to extend it until April 20.
Lawmakers missed an initial deadline to pass a state budget due to disagreements over the governor’s proposals aimed primarily at changing the bail law and creating new housing.
“Not only with respect to bail law, but also with respect to housing laws, because we know we’ve had an affordable housing crisis in the state for several years, we want to take advantage of that. budget to include measures that really help us build the affordable housing we need,” said Senator Jessica Ramos.
While Governor Hochul’s office prefers to remain silent on the status of negotiations for now, there are discussions within the legislature about some progress.
They’re negotiating to give judges more discretion in bail law, more resources for affordable housing, create more charter schools, and what’s not on the table is universal health insurance. for all state residents.
A negotiation that could take months, as has happened in the past, but an agreement is not excluded soon.
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has in the past stressed the need for lawmakers to extend the deadline when he sent a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul urging him to take action to ensure that 83,000 state employees are paid on time for the next pay cycle. .
State lawmakers will not be paid until a budget is passed, DiNapoli’s office said.
There has been ‘no movement in talks’ on any issue other than bail and housing on a state budget that is now more than a week behind schedule, the president of the state said at the time. State Assembly, Carl Heastie.
The bill has already been approved by the Assembly and is awaiting approval in the Senate.