New York state reaches $220 billion budget agreement

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New York state reached an agreement Thursday for a $220 billion state budget after contention that stalled the bill past its original April 1 deadline. Gov. Kathy Hochul initially proposed a record high $216.3 billion budget.

The Daily Orange broke down how the state resolved key issues that originally stalled the budget’s approval.

Bail reform

Hochul’s 10-point plan towards bail reform, which was one of the most controversial points in the budget, has been approved with some changes.

In Hochul’s original bail plan, the governor attempted to introduce a standard that would allow judges to assess the danger of a defendant to the public. This policy has been resisted since the 1970s, according to the New York Times. Concerns stemmed from the possible individual freedoms a judge could restrict prior to their case, should the defendant be considered a danger to others.

Hochul and lawmakers eventually agreed to leave precedent intact by requiring judges to consider the “least restrictive” methods to ensure a defendant returns to court. But the language was reworked to allow judges to consider whether the alleged crime being tried caused serious harm to others.

The budget would also reform policy to make certain crimes committed before a court date for a previous crime eligible for arrest. This would exclude crimes of poverty, which are illegal actions such as shoplifting committed by people under the motivation to gain access to monetarily restricted resources.

Other criminal justice initiatives passed including increased funding for mental health services and an expansion of Kendra’s Law, which allows courts to mandate mental health treatment. Lawmakers also agreed to change the rules for discovery, which monitor the process of turning over evidence. New discovery laws proposed would give judges more discretion over whether a case should be thrown out when turnover deadlines are not met.

SUNY/CUNY funding

The budget allocates around $2.2 billion for capital projects on SUNY and CUNY campuses.

Of the $2.2 billion, $1.2 billion will go to SUNY’s state-operated campuses, $879 million will go to CUNY’s senior colleges and $102 million will be distributed to community colleges.

The budget is also providing more than $500 million for SUNY and CUNY schools for operational support. Additionally, the school systems will receive $53 million each to hire additional full-time faculty. For current staff, the budget includes a $110 million increase to fund fringe benefits.

There will be $100 million given for one-time strategic investments — $60 million for SUNY and $40 million for CUNY. This funding will be used to “improve academic programs, increase enrollment, enhance student support services and modernize operations,” according to the press release.

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Casinos/stadium

Later in 2022, the state will open a bidding process for three new casino licenses, which operators would have to pay the state a minimum of $500 million to receive, The New York Times reported.

A 2013 act passed by the state established four destination gaming sites across upstate New York. The approved budget proposal would expedite a provision in a 2013 constitutional amendment that bars downstate casinos until at least 2023.

New York state also recently forced the settlement of a five-year legal battle with the Seneca Nation over its casino revenues and plans to use some of that funding to pay for a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills.
Hochul initially proposed an $850 million appropriation from the state to aid with the $1.4 billion total cost of the stadium, with the Bills agreeing to remain in the area for another 30 years. The final proposal allocated $600 million to the Bills.

Child and health care

According to The City, New York state will also invest $100 million to provide a form of health insurance for undocumented immigrants that are either over the age of 65 or who recently became mothers.

The state will also allocate $7 billion via subsidies to fund child care across the state for the next four years, doubling the current level of funding.

Miscellaneous

Hochul and the state legislature agreed to permit the sale of to-go alcoholic beverages for three years, which fell short of the governor’s original goal of making to-go alcohol sales permanent.

Restaurants and bars must only sell the beverages alongside a “substantial food order,” and the sale of full bottles of wine or liquor is prohibited.

New York state will also increase the minimum wage by $3 for home health care workers, making the new minimum wage $18 per hour, which is less than the $22.50 per hour wage advocates desired. Roughly $1.2 billion will also be allocated to bonuses for frontline health care workers.

Additionally, lawmakers agreed to suspend the state gas tax beginning on June 1 until the end of the year, cutting the per gallon cost of gas by about 16 cents to offset the recent increase in gas prices.

The state will also allocate $800 million for renters at risk for eviction, $250 million for individuals with utility arrears and $125 million to aid property owners who faced difficulties due to the pandemic.