The New York state Legislature on Wednesday passed an eighth state budget extender — now four weeks past the budget’s deadline — which was sent to Gov. Kathy Hochul for her signature.
The extender runs through Monday, May 4, and funds state operations, including payroll.
The budget was due April 1.
The major differences between Hochul and the Democrat-led Legislature through the process have been her proposal to reform the state’s car insurance laws in an effort to lower rates and dial back the 2019 climate law, as well as differences over raising taxes on the wealthy, school aid, Tier 6 pension reform and Hochul’s measure to create a 25-foot protest buffer around places of worship.
Legislative leaders have signaled progress has been made in recent days toward an agreement on the major policy items holding up the budget. On the climate law, Hochul had proposed to move the date by which the state must release regulations for how it will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 85% by 2050 to 2030. An updated proposal would move that deadline to 2028 and establish an interim target to reduce emissions by 60% by 2040 while keeping the 2050 date intact.
On auto insurance, legislative sources say movement late last week which centered around the governor dropping aspects of the proposal which deal with accidents in which multiple people are at fault, known as joint and several liability, have held steady and the means of addressing concerns, particularly in the state Senate, over making sure that insurance companies aren’t let off the hook by the impending changes have solidified around addressing flex increases, or the ability for insurance companies to change rates within a certain window without approval from the state.
There have been frustrations among some lawmakers about the slow process.