New York state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins told reporters on Tuesday she believes an end is in sight to a final state budget deal, which is nearly six weeks past its April 1 deadline and as the legislative session window to address other business will be closing soon.
“While I know we’re not quite there yet on the final budget — which is a problem — I do believe that we will be entering the beginning of the end over the next few days with the hope of reaching an end sometime next week,” Stewart-Cousins said.
Hochul on Monday defended the state budget process while lawmakers passed an 11th budget extender to keep state operations funded through Thursday, including payroll, health programs and unemployment insurance. The lack of a spending plan means New York is seeing its latest budget in 16 years.
“Would I have wanted to be at this point in session? No, I would’ve hoped — as always — that we were able to get an on-time budget and that we were able to accomplish what we needed to accomplish sooner than now,” Stewart-Cousins said. “But again, it has not stopped us from paying attention to the things we care about and will continue doing that until the end of session.”
Hochul last week announced a “general agreement” on a $268 billion budget including changes to the state’s climate law, auto insurance reform, changes to the state’s environmental quality review law and an immigrant protection package in response to the Trump administration’s immigration policy.
“What is very unique, I think in this situation, is the amount and the magnitude of policy that the governor continues to introduce that requires very very protractive negotiations and discussions and all the things that are required in order to come out with a product that we all appreciate or certainly agree to,” Stewart-Cousins said. “And that has frankly been what’s taken up the vast majority of time as it relates to the budget.”
State lawmakers, including state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, have long been critical of Hochul and other governors for the use of budget negotiations to drive policy changes, with this year’s budget.
When asked about the possibility of changing the process or changing the length of the legislative session, Stewart-Cousins said she would be speaking to leaders once this year’s budget is complete.
“I am looking forward to post-budget discussions with the governor, with the speaker on what we can do to make this more frankly budget-centered than policy centered,” she said.
The Legislature is scheduled to leave Albany for the year on June 4, leaving not much room for other legislative business once the budget is complete. Stewart-Cousins said her conference is still making progress in non-budget areas.
“The process has certainly been extremely difficult, but throughout it all, our conference has remained focused on passing meaningful legislation that protects consumers, lowers costs for hardworking New Yorkers and is responsive of their needs,” she said.