View some local highlights of the Governor’s budget here:
http://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-central-new-york-highlights-2016-17-state-budget-agreement
Barclay: Secrecy Mires Budget Process, More State Mandates Bad for Business
Assemblyman Will Barclay (R,C,I-Pulaski) released the following statement today (April 1) following the passage of the 2016-17 budget.
The lack of transparency in this budget process was nearly incomparable.
Bills were brought to lawmakers just hours before we were required to vote.
Compromises made behind closed doors with three men in a room surrounding the proposed $15-an-hour minimum wage hike were not known until the last minute.
The three-day vetting process was done away with by the Governor’s ‘messages of necessity’ and meaningful public input was not allowed.
This budget includes one of the worst mandates for businesses in recent history, raising the minimum wage by 39% Upstate and 67% Downstate.
This will be the eighth minimum wage hike since 2013 and in December, the state just implemented a $9 minimum wage.
This latest mandate is not one that businesses can be expected to simply absorb.
Although Upstate was saved from instituting the full-on $15-an hour increase and will instead be required to pay workers $12.50 an hour by 2020, this budget dictates, once again, more mandates.
Our job creators will be forced to either ante up, downsize or automate.
Fortunately, the gap elimination adjustment for schools was closed entirely this year.
My colleagues and I fought for this change to occur over a one-year period, rather than over a two-year period and the budget included more funding for schools in general.
Despite good government groups and citizens advocating for a more open budget process, and the conviction of our former Assembly and Senate leaders, this budget process made it clear that the lack of transparency continues to reign.
Meaningful ethics reform was not even part of this budget process.
I will continue to pressure my colleagues for change the taxpayers deserve and shed some much-needed light on Albany’s opaque and shrouded world.
Oaks: 2016-17 Budget Was Most Secretive In Recent History
A statement from Assemblyman Bob Oaks (R,C-Macedon):
The state budget was finally adopted Friday in the evening hours of April 1 after being negotiated behind closed doors and requiring a “message of necessity” from the governor to waive the ability of legislators and the public to take the normal three days to study and critically review the budget before it came up for a vote.
It is ironic that with all the provisions in the voluminous budget, and just as two former legislative leaders are set to be sentenced to prison in the next few weeks, there is not even a hint of ethics reform.
It has been over a year since the governor, Majority Leader Flanagan and Speaker Heastie announced an agreement on requiring the forfeiture of pensions of public officials convicted of corruption, and yet there is still no law to deter future illegal behavior.
Much of the government abuse and corruption uncovered in recent years has been associated with powerful leaders spending taxpayer money to serve their personal interests.
This was the year that the Albany culture of three-men–in-a-room could have been smashed by including all legislative leaders in negotiations and considering valid input from majority and minority legislators from all regions of the state.
Instead the veil of secrecy was tighter than ever before and we saw further regression with regard to openness and transparency.
As for the budget itself, I am most concerned with the agreement to increase the minimum wage by another 39 percent to $12.50 over the next five years, on the heels of a 24 percent increase over the previous three years.
Numerous farms, manufacturers, and other small businesses are going to have an extremely difficult time competing with out of state entities that have significantly lower employee costs.
Coupled with a paid family leave provision and the already high cost of doing business in New York State, the minimum wage increase will almost certainly cause significant job losses to local and regional employers reeling from an already weak economy.
Even though the budget includes record education aid, important middle class tax cuts and increased funding for upstate roads and bridges, New Yorkers deserve both a better product and a better process.
Statement From Senator Patty Ritchie On 2016-17 State Budget:
Just a few short months ago, we set out to craft a spending plan that strengthens the middle class, grows our economy and improves educational opportunities for students.
Today, I’m proud to say we succeeded in achieving those goals, approving a new state budget that will help to build a better future for all New Yorkers.
It provides record funding to ensure quality education for our children, finally puts a stop to the budget-cheating GEA gimmick and halts SUNY tuition increases to keep a college education within reach of more middle class families.
It sets in motion a new round of tax cuts for the hardworking middle class, which will bring the lowest state tax rates in 70 years.
It invests in our most important industry, agriculture, by restoring all of the devastating budget cuts for farmers that were included in the Governor’s plan, to help strengthen family farming and the rural communities that agriculture supports.
It achieved parity in infrastructure funding, so Upstate communities won’t be cheated of funds we need to ensure safe, reliable roads and bridges that sustain a healthy economy and help our region grow.
Lastly, we pushed back on the Governor’s one-size-fits-all minimum wage proposal, replacing it with a measured plan that takes into account the concerns of job creators and small businesses, provides relief for farmers and includes a safety valve to protect jobs and the economy, all while giving a needed boost to struggling workers and their families.
This spending plan is just the start of the important work that needs to be done in Albany to improve the quality of life for people here in Central and Northern New York, as well as across the state.
As the 2016 Legislative session continues, I’m looking forward to building on this plan to help create more opportunities for all New Yorkers.
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