Legislative leaders have failed to come to an agreement with Hochul on her massive $263 billion budget proposal, which was due on April 1. The parties blew through the deadline to little surprise of rank-and-file senators and Assembly members, many of whom skipped town for a regularly-scheduled two-week break coinciding with the Passover and Easter holidays.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s built into people\u2019s expectations,\u201dGianaris (D-Queens) told reporters, indicating lawmakers aren\u2019t sweating the delay.<\/p>\n
![\"Senate](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/senate-majority-leader-andrea-stewart-104027112.jpg\")
State lawmakers appear to be going through the motions as they and Gov. Kathy Hochul continue to pass stopgap spending measures while the state budget is late. Hans Pennink for NY Post<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019ve become accustomed to the last several years, which is the budget has not been catastrophically late, but it\u2019s been a few weeks late,\u201d he admitted \u2014 just after members quickly gaveled in and out to pass the extender.<\/p>\n
All of Hochul\u2019s budgets so far have been late<\/a>, with last year\u2019s coming in on May 8, marking five consecutive years of the state blowing past the deadline.<\/p>\n Hochul\u2019s office signaled that negotiations are bound to drag on even further, with the extender passed Tuesday stretching to April 14 \u2014 allowing pols, who don\u2019t get paid during the delay, another weeklong break before forcing them to schlep back to Albany to vote again.<\/p>\n Assembly Republicans blasted Democrats\u2019 lackadaisical approach, arguing it puts local governments in a pinch as they craft their budgets without knowing how much funding is coming from the state.<\/p>\n \u201cThe longer this process drags on, the harder it becomes for them to plan, budget and make ends meet,\u201d said Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R-Steuben), the GOP\u2019s top member on the lower chamber\u2019s Ways & Means Committee<\/p>\n \u201cThis budget extender keeps the lights on, but it does not provide any direction to the residents we represent in our district,\u201d he said on the Assembly floor.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is exactly why this continued process can\u2019t continue the way it has extender after extender,\u201d Palmesano added, before ultimately voting in favor of the extender.<\/p>\n A number of rank-and-file members didn\u2019t even bother to show up in person for the vote.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the most \u2018I don\u2019t give a s\u2013t\u2019 budget I\u2019ve seen in 30 years,\u201d one seasoned lobbyist griped of the process, while seated in a largely empty Senate lobby just minutes ahead of the chamber\u2019s scheduled session time Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n Legislative leaders met with Hochul Tuesday morning, according to sources familiar with the talks.<\/p>\n Sticking points include the governor\u2019s secretive proposal to roll back compliance deadlines in the state\u2019s climate law<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cBaby steps,\u201d Gianaris said of progress in the negotiations on that pitch.<\/p>\n![\"NY](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/012926-ny-governor-kathy-hochul-119976662.jpg\")
Gov. Kathy Hochul is allowing the legislature the rest of the week away from Albany on a scheduled break as the state budget is a week past due. Matthew McDermott for NY Post<\/p>\n