Op Eds

After 11 extenders and more than a month past its April 1 deadline, the 2025-2026 New York state budget is finally complete.

The unprecedented $254 billion spending package again does little to truly move the needle to make life in New York more affordable. The lack of fiscal relief and restraint provided by this budget is disappointing, and so, too, are the watered-down policy changes accompanying the spending plan.

The components that held up budget negotiations were policy measures involving the involuntary commitment of individuals suffering from severe mental illness, the use of masks during protests, and laws dictating how evidence is handled in criminal trials. While some adjustments were made to make it easier for law enforcement and prosecutors to do their jobs, the resulting legislation could have been stronger, compared to the substantial time it took legislative leaders to draft it.

Further, the budget also provides for two notable bailouts: one for the Attorney General and one for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). The MTA has consistently shown it is unable to manage its budget, and the service commuters are getting is nowhere near commensurate with the enormous sums of money the state has provided the failing agency. And $10 million set aside to defend criminal charges unrelated to a public official's duties as Letitia James faces fraud allegations is an insult to taxpayers. These are the types of measures that get included in a budget negotiated behind closed doors and passed hastily before most lawmakers can even read it.

As is the case with most budgets, there were items included that the Assembly Minority Conference have advocated for. The state will finally address overdue unemployment insurance payments owed to the federal government – a huge victory for small businesses; an expansion of the Empire State child credit paired with middle-class tax cuts are positive steps in the right direction. Central New Yorkers should celebrate $450 million to help in SUNY Upstate Hospital implement critical upgrades.

The best way to evaluate our spending plans is by looking at the return on investment. The 2025-26 plan is $13 billion more than last year and has increased $77 billion in the last five years. Despite the state's runaway spending, the quality of life, economic stability and public safety continue to lag behind other states that spend far less money than we do. This budget, ultimately, fails to fix what's actually wrong with New York. Unless the governor and her legislative allies take this reality seriously, we will be having this same conversation next spring. 

If you have any questions or comments on this or any other state issue, or if you would like to be added to my mailing list or receive my newsletter, please contact my office. My office can be reached by mail at 19 Canalview Mall, Fulton, NY 13069 and by email at barclayw@nyassembly.gov. You may also find me, Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, on Facebook or Twitter at @WillABarclay.