NY Gov Hochul criticized over $254B policy-laden, late budget

(The Center Square) — Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York's Democratic legislative leaders are being criticized for muscling through a $254 billion late state budget packed with controversial policy items that dramatically increases state spending.

Hochul signed off on the final spending package Friday in a series of bill signings that included an increase of the state's child tax credit, $340 million for free school meals and $2 billion in "inflation relief" payments to more than 8 million New Yorkers, who could get up to $400 per family. It also included myriad policy changes, such as reforms to the state’s pre-trial discovery laws and a ban on cell phones in public schools.

However, lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are blasting the Democratic governor for dragging out negotiations on the budget — which comes five weeks late — to push through key elements of her agenda.

Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said the budget is "packed with outrageous spending and political window dressing that sounds good in a press release but does nothing to improve the quality of life in our state."

"This budget is not just misguided-it's offensive. Democrats who hold all the levers of power in Albany are incapable of governing and have continued to lead our state into crisis after crisis," the Republican said in a statement. "The so-called criminal justice fixes' are toothless. The discovery and mask laws passed will continue to let violent offenders dodge accountability and walk free, putting public safety and law enforcement at risk."

Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay said, despite tax cuts and debt relief, the spending plan is "another reckless escalation of spending that does little to improve New York’s fiscal stability or economic condition.”

"But when combined with a payroll tax in the MTA region, extending taxes on high earners, and failing to reconsider the costly climate mandates that raise prices on all New Yorkers, our affordability problems are far from over," Barclay said in a statement.

Others criticized Hochul and Democratic legislative leaders for adding a $10 million carve-out in the budget to help Democratic Attorney General Letitia James cover legal costs as she defends herself against a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration, which alleges that she committed housing fraud.

Hochul's budget also faced criticism from fellow Democrats, some of whom took care of the budget process and the governor's drawn-out negotiations on policy matters that delayed the bill's approval by over a month. Under New York state law, legislators aren't paid if the budget isn't approved by the April 1 deadline.

"This disgraceful budget process ought to serve as a clarion call to both parties and both chambers in the Legislature," state Sen. Jim Skoufis, a Hudson Valley Democrat, said in a statement. "Members of the Senate and Assembly need to support the two checks and balances available to us: oversight and overrides."

Good-government watchdogs at Reinvent Albany also criticized the budget process as "cynical" and "undemocratic" and called for reforming the system.

"It is full of decisions made in complete secrecy by the ruling Democratic party majority — including self-serving changes that weaken the landmark campaign finance law and postpone restrictions on outside income for elected officials," the group said in a statement.

A Hochul spokesperson brushed off the criticism in a statement that boasted that the budget the governor signed includes "sweeping middle-class tax cuts, triples the child tax credit, and provides $2 billion in inflation relief to New Yorkers."

"It fixes our discovery laws to crack down on recidivism and makes major improvements in subway safety — all while including record funding for schools and health care," the statement said. "Now that this incredibly successful budget deal has been signed into law, Gov. Hochul looks forward to a productive end of session with her colleagues in the Legislature."