Gov. Kathy Hochul declared victory Thursday, claiming she secured a state budget deal with the state legislature, before Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said: she’s wrong.
Hochul admitted she’s still fuzzy on the details tied to city funding and a new tax on Big Apple second homes, sparking a political debate with fellow Democrats.
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U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries sent Rochester Rep. Joe Morelle to meet with Hochul and legislative leaders — State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie — in Albany on Tuesday
He was gathering support to kickstart New York’s typical once in a decade redistricting process early
President Donald Trump’s months-long pitch to keep Congress in GOP hands has triggered several red states to attempt a redraw of their House maps, prompting some Democratic-led states, including California, to react
Instead of waiting until 2030, the governor and legislature would have to pass and sign a bill putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot this fall and next, permitting voters to decide if they want to begin the redistricting process as early as 2028
“We got it done,” she said during a press conference in the Red Room of the state Capitol on Wednesday morning.
Although it’s 37 days past the April 1 deadline, she presented what she labeled a done deal.
“The negotiations were not easy. There were very substantive disagreements, tough choices and powerful special interests trying to influence the outcome. And the dysfunction out of Washington doesn’t help,” Hochul added.
The $268 billion spending plan is $8 billion larger than her January proposal. Hochul said the deal also includes a new tax on second homes for part-time city residents, car insurance industry changes that could slash high costs and fraud, and so-called “buffer zones” around houses of worship.
Plus, amendments to the state’s 2019 climate law, which at the time was viewed by supporters as one of the most ambitious in the nation.
“I’m proud to say that we did. We’re delivering on affordability, on safety, on childcare, on the environment and on housing. This budget was the culmination of an ambitious agenda I laid out in January,” the governor said.
But shortly after, top State Assembly Democrat Carl Heastie tore into Hochul’s victory lap.
“There’s no budget deal. There’s no deal!” a visibly exasperated Heastie told reporters in Albany shortly after.
“We signed off on nothing major. And this is what I’m telling y’all, what’s wrong with this process. And I’m saying this to y’all very clearly, I’m never doing this again. Budgets are supposed to be about money, not policy,” he added.
All 213 members of the state legislature haven’t been paid since budget talks stalled April 1. They’re also handcuffed by state law and a famous court case that limits how they can change the governor’s budget proposal without mustering a serious challenge.
“I’m never doing this again,” Heastie said. “I’m not talking about money until the government is satisfied on policy. I don’t care if the budget doesn’t get passed for six months. This thing about thinking you can starve members out like it’s over.”
Elected officials griped that the governor’s foot-dragging is costing their constituents progress on important local issues.
“New York City has already pushed back their budget deadline in the hopes that the city would get it together — it’s extremely frustrating,” said state Assembly man Khaleel Anderson of Queens.
“I don’t like liars,” said Jabari Brisport, a state senator from Brooklyn.“There’s no deal!”
“This is the problem. We don’t know right now,” said state Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris, a Queens Democrat.
“The budget being actually done is probably a week, two weeks after that. So now we begin what many of us view as the process of doing the real budget work, which is agreeing to how much money we’re spending,” he added.
Some lawmakers accused her of jumping the gun on important and expensive issues, such as pension benefit changes for municipal workers statewide in the Tier 6 classification.
“She wants to will it into being! And I admire the enthusiasm, but there are many things that we have yet to nail down,” said Queens state Sen. James Sanders, also a Democrat.
Some lawmakers praised Hochul’s agreement to crack down on federal immigration authorities.
“We’re not saying we don’t want to help stop criminals, but the vast majority of immigrants being detained have not committed any crime, and nowhere in America should we fear the police,” said state Assembly man Tony Simone, a Manhattan Democrat.
“We cannot have masked police in this country,” he added.
As well as a crackdown on so-called “super speeders” within the five boroughs.
“Close up any ability for drivers to evade their responsibility under the law by registering another vehicle, ditching the vehicle that got the tickets,” said Brooklyn Democratic state Sen. Andrew Gounardes.
Lawmakers are expected to leave Albany for the weekend and return Monday to discuss final details, but it could still be weeks before bills are voted on.