ASSEMBLYMEMBER PATRICIA FAHY’S STATEMENT ON THE NEW YORK STATE BUDGET AGREEMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019

“Yesterday the Assembly, Senate, and Governor reached consensus to adopt the state’s budget plan, managing to meet critical program and funding needs — from healthcare to education, to roads and bridges — at a time of serious fiscal challenges with a $2.6 billion shortfall earlier this year.

The budget includes a series of trade-offs on many funding items but adds the Internet Sales Marketplace Tax to level the playing field to protect New York’s brick and mortar stores while generating $160 million in needed revenue for local governments statewide. At the same time the 2% property tax cap will be permanent while Aid to Municipalities (AIM) will be restored, and the City of Albany will again receive $12 million Capital City Funding.

School funding will increase 3.8%, reaffirming New York’s commitment to a quality public education for all. Foreclosure prevention will be funded at $20 million. In a positive step towards fighting climate change, the 23 billion single-use plastic bags used each year in New York will be banned, and another $500 million will be invested in our critical water and sewer infrastructure. A historic step in criminal justice reform has been adopted to move toward economic justice by curtailing the over-reliance on cash bail. Funding for upstate transit has been secured.

There are more trade-offs in this budget than usual, and I have serious concerns regarding diminishing the legislature’s authority with the binding commission on public campaign financing, as well as the lack of pre-k transportation funding and a new opioid drug tax. Overall, I commend Speaker Heastie and my colleagues in the Assembly for crafting a balanced, common-sense blueprint for the state’s fiscal future that puts New York families first while keeping spending growth in check.”