“New Yorkers are being asked to believe the contradiction that record spending will somehow make life more affordable. It hasn’t, and it won’t.

The governor has expressed a willingness to tackle affordability, but under her leadership, the state has moved in the complete opposite direction. A $4.2 billion budget gap didn’t appear overnight; it is the predictable result of budgets built on expanding government, not sustainable priorities, something the Minority conference has warned about for years.

Over the last five years, state spending has increased by nearly $81 billion, including $13 billion last year alone. That level of growth is simply not sustainable, especially as federal support becomes less reliable and future costs continue to compound.

Minority lawmakers believe affordability doesn’t come from spending more, it comes from spending smarter. That means prioritizing targeted, accountable investments that address the real drivers of high costs, insisting on results from every taxpayer dollar, and rejecting budget practices that push today’s problems onto tomorrow’s taxpayers.

As the legislative session gets underway, one common-sense truth must ring clear: We cannot spend recklessly and call it affordability. But we can invest responsibly and demand better outcomes for New Yorkers.”