“In the wake of a challenging two years battling the pandemic and the rising costs of essential goods, the 2022-23 state budget prioritizes the needs of working people while providing historic investments to our state that will help the Syracuse area.

“The budget included $1.1 billion to tear down Interstate 81 in Syracuse and replace it with a street-level boulevard. The money stems from the capital plan for infrastructure projects funded by the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law passed by Congress last year.

“The state budget also provides, on average, 8.46% more funding for school districts and an increase of 7.77% in Foundation Aid to school districts in the 128^th District. Alongside this, we made critical investments in special education provider rates by increasing them 11% and including $40 million in the budget to increase the teacher workforce.

“Diversifying our health care workforce is crucial to our state’s future, which is why the budget invests more than $4 million in the Diversity in Medicine Program. This investment will help recruit and train a diverse health care workforce that represents the diversity of the patients in underserved communities and ensures health equity. The budget also included the Fair Play Ambulance Cost Recovery Act, allowing fire departments to charge for costs incurred while providing emergency medical services (EMS), which wasn’t an option under previous law.

“In addition to these crucial investments in our workforce, the budget provides $1.1 billion for the Affordable Rental Housing program, the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) and the Landlord Rental Assistance Program (LRAP). It also provides $250 million for residential gas and electric utility arrears to help New Yorkers pay back utility bills. Households eligible for School Tax Relief (STAR), Enhanced STAR and have incomes no more than $250,000 will also receive a one-time property tax rebate check. These provisions will protect homeowners, tenants, and landlords during our economic recovery.

“Supporting our veterans is one of my top priorities in Albany. I am proud of the many items in the budget that will help New York veterans. The Division of Veterans' Services has been upgraded to the Department of Veterans' Services to help ensure greater availability of services. The budget provides $7.6 million in restorations and adds for various veterans' programs. The budget also extends the Hire-a-Vet tax credit to encourage more companies to employ military veterans. The Dwyer Peer-to-Peer Veterans' Support Program will also receive $7.7 million to expand its counseling and support for veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health challenges.

“Middle-class New Yorkers have seen how sky-high inflation cuts into their bottom line, and it’s critical that we provide necessary relief. The budget accelerates tax cuts for middle-class families, saving taxpayers $162 million in fiscal year 2022-23. The pandemic, supply chain problems, and Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine have caused the price of crude oil to skyrocket. Because of this, we are instituting a gas tax holiday from June 1 to December 31, saving drivers approximately $585 million.

“The 2022-23 state budget secures big wins for Syracuse communities and I’m proud to have supported many of these initiatives. As we continue to recover from the pandemic, I will keep working with my Assembly colleagues to deliver real results to the people.”