“The Majority lawmakers one-house budget includes some positive measures, such as the 7.8% increase for Direct Support Professionals, much-needed rate reimbursement increases for UPK and support for a substitute staff pool for child care providers. These are necessary investments that will help support critical services and hardworking professionals across our state.

However, this budget fails to address some of New York’s most pressing issues. It does nothing to solve our statewide EMS crisis, ignores the urgent need for $250 million in CHIPS funding for local roads and continues the dangerous trend of closing five more prisons while gutting the Department of Corrections. On top of that, an alarming increase in overall spending from last year is only going to push our state further down the wrong path.

New Yorkers need a budget that prioritizes public safety, infrastructure and responsible fiscal management—not one that continues to ignore the needs of our communities while driving up costs.”