Assemblymember Cahill: Leading the way

"It’s no secret that Albany has serious problems in need of repair. I’m fighting hard for those solutions because New Yorkers deserve an efficient and productive state government. I took the lead in reaching a bipartisan agreement to reform the state’s broken budget process, and I’m going to continue working to fix Albany."

– Assemblymember Kevin Cahill

This year, Kevin Cahill sponsored legislation that would greatly improve the efficiency of the state’s budget process (A.11231). Passage of this historic plan will bring transparency, accountability and efficiency to the process, and above all, will help ensure on-time budgets in the years to come. Mr. Cahill has taken a strong stand to end the gridlock caused by the Governor’s continuous delays. He remains committed to fighting the Governor’s inadequate budget proposals and working toward a budget that will invest in our children’s education, protect our hospitals and safeguard our families.

The budget reform package will provide the Legislature with more accurate revenue forecasts and more time to review the details of the Governor’s proposed budget by:

• Changing the beginning of the fiscal year from April 1 to May 1
• Beginning discussions between the Governor and Legislature on revenue forecasts and projected expenses in November
• Requiring the Governor to submit his budget by January 15
• Shortening the amendment period from 30 to 21 days to allow time for legislative review

The reform package also protects against a late budget. If a budget is not adopted by May 1, the agreement provides that a contingency budget be implemented, essentially continuing the previous year’s budget until a new budget is adopted.

Under the budget reform plan, the state would be required to:

• Provide a two-year "step ahead" appropriation for education aid, giving schools the information they need to plan ahead and avoid property tax increases
• Create a reserve fund in the state constitution to ensure sufficient monies exist for the payment of education aid in May and June of each year

The Health Care Reform Act provides funding for programs such as Family Health Plus and Child Health Plus. Currently, HCRA has billions of dollars in expenditures – only some of which are on budget. HCRA would become part of the budget debate under the agreement, helping to ensure it is properly funded and getting a firm handle on its finances.

By using better planning and financial forecasts, the Legislature can enact better budgets. The agreement requires:

• Additional financial reporting in the Executive Budget
• That all agency budget submissions would be made public prior to submission to the Governor
• The creation of a reserve fund, equal to 3 percent of the general fund, in order to have more money put away for a "rainy day"