Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R, C, I -Big Flats) acknowledged that, although the Assembly Majority budget proposal contains some improvements over the Governor’s original draft, more work and negotiations are needed before an acceptable budget is reached.

“While I am pleased to see a return of $15 million in funding for Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPs), this is just a small fraction of what is really needed for this crucial piece of infrastructure development, said Friend.

I remain very disappointed with the remainder of the Majority’s budget bill; I will work hard to eliminate the five-year extension of the New York State Energy Utility Surcharge assessment that impacts every household and business. We must prevent the $2 billion raid of the State Insurance Fund, which should be returned to those businesses who are our job creators and not allocated to the general fund to fill budget gaps. There are also programs that state taxpayers should not have to support, including $5 million to promote the next Super Bowl, $36 million for the governor’s SAFE Act and the long-term financial implications of the Affordable Care Act.

I am hopeful that in the next week a more encompassing and effective budget will be negotiated to benefit the residents and job creators of the Southern Tier.”