“At a time when our state and nation are battling an escalating public health emergency and a deepening economic crisis, it’s shameful that Senate and Assembly Majority codified the governor’s outrageous power grabs, settled his political scores and promoted his misplaced priorities. Rather than make difficult choices and do the job New Yorkers elected them to do, Assembly Majority handed the governor unprecedented power to rip resources from hospitals, schools and local governments throughout the year. They upended our political system by requiring taxpayers to fund political campaigns and paved the way for most third parties to be axed. And in a budget that made painful cuts to healthcare programs, local libraries, and local governments, the Majority politicians found hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate giveaways for Hollywood Film Studios, $100 million for a taxpayer-funded incumbency protection program and billions for pork barrel spending controlled by the governor and the speaker. They even blocked a Minority amendment to provide emergency capital, zero interest loans, tax deferments and regulatory relief to small businesses who have been crushed during the ongoing public health emergency.

“This budget falls far short of the united, bipartisan effort New Yorkers were counting on the face of a crisis,” said Ra.