Senate And Assembly Republicans: No Budget With “Messages Of Necessity”

ALBANY – Members of the state Senate and Assembly Republican Conferences today urged Gov. Kathy Hochul and the legislative Majorities not to use so-called “messages of necessity” to bypass the constitutionally-required three-day aging process once budget bills are introduced. This critically-important “aging” provision of the state constitution helps to ensure that the public, the press, and all interested parties have the opportunity to review the budget bills before they are enacted into law.

Senate and Assembly Republicans called for the passage of a constitutional amendment  (S.4285, A.5996), sponsored by Sen. Mark Walczyk and Assembly Republican Leader Will Barclay, to prohibit an immediate vote from being called by the governor or acting governor on any budget bills.

“If policies are important enough that they hold up the budget for nearly a month, then at a minimum they should warrant a full public vetting and honor the three-day aging period,” Leader Barclay said. “As with most budgets, we’ll be debating significant policy items while New Yorkers are sleeping. It is undoubtedly the worst possible way to govern, and Democrats are entirely to blame.”

“It’s an embarrassment that power should be held unilaterally by one side yet wielded so inefficiently and carelessly,” Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) said. “New Yorkers have made their needs painfully clear: this state needs to work on its affordability and public safety crises. Yet the majority has reportedly made no plans to address either in meaningful ways.

“Bypassing the aging provision under the guise of ‘message of necessity’ is another way for the Majority Conference to keep the budget one-sided and preferential toward their own wants,” said Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square). “It is important legislators deliver a budget promptly, while also keeping transparency intact—these are not mutually exclusive. The public of New York has the right to review budget bills before they are enacted as law. New Yorkers should not be an afterthought when it comes to decisions that will directly affect them. Spending of any kind, especially when it is upwards of $230 billion, cannot be done in secret.”

“With a budget that is already 26 days late and being negotiated in secret and behind closed doors, the people of New York deserve to have sunlight on any final budget agreement and give the public and all 213 members of the Assembly and Senate time to review the budget of one of the world’s largest government spenders,” said Assemblyman Josh Jensen (R,C-Greece). “The people of our state already have a distrust of state government and passing legislation in darkness only furthers that.

“Governor Hochul and the Legislature’s Democrat majorities continue working behind closed doors to enact what will be the highest-spending budget New York State taxpayers have ever faced. It also sounds like it could be a budget overloaded with policy initiatives that will impact our local citizens, communities, and economies in fundamental ways.  This budget demands a full public airing and the appropriate time for review and debate,” said Senator Tom O’Mara, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee.

“In her first speech after taking office, Governor Hochul promised ‘a new era of transparency’. However, Democrat party bosses are showing they’re in charge now. Her administration has shown zero transparency especially in this budget process. Now the latest budget in over a decade, the Governor will likely issue a message of necessity, so nobody has a chance to read it before it’s voted on.  I’m proud to introduce legislation to require the proper minimum 3 days of sunlight on budget bills,” said Senator Mark Walczyk.

“This year’s budget looks to be packed with policies that would not only change how our state uses energy but would reconstruct our local suburban communities. Healthcare workers, not-for-profits, builders, school districts and residents alike have been waiting with growing anxiety to see what the final budget will contain. We owe it to them to introduce the bills properly and allow proper aging of the bills to allow our constituents the time and ability to read and understand what is being proposed,” said Senator Alexis Weik.

The dysfunctional, secretive manner in which Democrats construct the budget results in the state’s most important policy measures being developed behind closed doors. Cramming major policies into the state budget means these critical bills are voted on and debated in the dark of night, while tied to hundreds of other bills.

Despite the fact that the budget is nearly a month late, there has been little-to-no transparency on the details that are being negotiated entirely behind closed doors. For example, Gov. Hochul indicated that although a deal on changes to the dangerous bail reform laws has been reached, she declined to divulge details until a deal is reached on the overall spending plan.

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