“With weeks to get the job done, the governor, Assembly Speaker and the Senate Majority Leader put off budget negotiations until the last minute and could not come to an agreement. Instead, we were forced to vote on nearly 2,000 pages of budget extender language with only a couple of hours to review prior. No legislator should be expected to vote on such important matters without proper time to analyze and understand how it will affect the people we represent.

“The practice of three individuals holding negotiations without all parties present is deceitful. The governor and the Assembly Speaker have tried to force extreme policy into this year’s budget – the main reason for the breakdown – and that is unacceptable. In addition, the governor has been pushing policy that will garner himself attention on the national stage instead of focusing on what is really needed here at home. In short, the budget has not been negotiated in good faith with the Legislature or the residents of New York State.”