New York State finally has a budget. More than a week after the budget was officially due a budget agreement was finally struck by the governor and the majorities of both the Assembly and Senate. Assemblyman Brian Curran (Lynbrook-21st A.D.) was in Albany for the late nights and tense debates, and believes there is some good and some bad in this year’s fiscal plan.
“One major positive is the increase in education funding,” said Curran. “It’s always a win for our students when the state provides a significant increase in funding for our school districts. We have some of the best schools the state has to offer and we need the funding to continue that effort. Also on the education front, the state approved an increase in non-public school aid and an increase in community college base aid. In terms of the environment, we approved a significant amount of money for the clean water act and for the environmental protection fund.”
The approved budget included a $995.4 million increase for New York’s school districts and $180.9 million for non-public school aid. SUNY and CUNY Community College base aid was increased to $2,747 per student.
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The Clean Water Act was funded with $2.5 billion to protect drinking water for residents on Long Island and throughout the state, while $300 million was allocated for the environmental protection fund.
“While there is clearly some good that has come out of the state budget, there are some serious negatives as well,” said Curran. “No ethics reform measures were taken up, which continues to be a major issue as evidenced by the manner in which the negotiations occurred this year.
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“Additionally, the plan to provide ‘free’ tuition to SUNY and CUNY schools does not help the majority of hardworking, middle-class families in my district. A large number of New York’s families in need already receive the maximum amount of financial aid which covers the cost of tuition. So, who does this really help? On top of providing much needed financial assistance to many families here in Nassau County, the state increased the cost of SUNY and CUNY tuition by $200. So, not only will many of our families not qualify for help, they will be asked to pay more. That is just wrong.
“The millionaire’s tax was extended this year, which is supposed to help take some of the tax burden off of the middle class,” Curran continued. “However, we see no tax breaks for the middle class this year. We cannot have one without the other.
“Also, another area of major concern for my residents is the decision by Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) to shut down the N36 line that runs through our district and services many of my constituents. Despite receiving an increase in funding, NICE still plans to shut down this line that is vital to our community. For that reason, I voted against the budget bill that provided the increase.”
This year’s budget was negotiated in a manner much different than previous years with legislation trickling out in pieces. On several occasions, it was thought an agreement was struck and a vote was to take place only to find out that negotiations had once again stalled. For this reason, voting on budget bills was taken up on multiple days throughout a chaotic and confusing week that included late nights and very early mornings.
Assemblyman Curran represents the 21st District consisting of parts Nassau County. For more information, please visit Assemblyman Curran’s Official Website.
