State Sen. George Borrello

New York state Gov. Kathy Hochul’s bright outlook regarding the approved New York state budget is not being met with sunshine by a local official.

While state Sen. George Borrello notes there are positives, he remains critical of the lack of changes made in bail reform. “While there are positive items in the spending plan that will help struggling middle-class taxpayers, which I supported, there are also a host of missed opportunities to truly change some of the most serious problems facing our state,” he said in a statement early Saturday morning.

“The most glaring omission and one that polls indicate New Yorkers want more than anything else is the restoration of judicial discretion in setting bail,” Borrello continued. “The disastrous bail changes forced into law in 2019 by radical special interests have fueled soaring crime rates across our state, resulting in more victimization of law-abiding residents. Despite rhetoric by the governor and legislative leaders that the bail changes aren’t responsible for the double-digit increases in crime we are seeing, no one – especially the public – has been fooled by those claims.”

Borrello said work on the budget finished early Saturday and he was returning to Western New York this afternoon after a long week of debate. During the State Legislative Breakfast held by the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce on Friday, Borrello was outspoken in calling the budget process “poor” and lacking transparency.

“Although the controversy over the proposed bail tweaks largely held up the budget, the changes they’ve included are so minor, their impact will be next to nothing,” he said. “Once again, the protection and rights of criminals have come before those of law-abiding New Yorkers, which is shameful and disheartening.”

Hochul on Saturday called the budget an historic blueprint that meets the once-in-a-generation moment to invest in New Yorkers by rebuilding the healthcare economy, building the education system of the future, reducing the tax burden for those who need it most, improving the state’s transportation and housing infrastructure, combating climate change, creating jobs, and improving public safety and ethic oversight in government.

“When I was sworn in, I promised that every decision I make will go through one lens: is it the best deal for New Yorkers?” she said. “This budget fulfills that promise and provides us with a blueprint for the short- and long-term future. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to not just bring relief to families and put more money in people’s pockets today, but also to make historic investments in New Yorkers for years ahead. With this budget we are seizing that opportunity and ushering in a new era of a stronger, safer, more prosperous New York State.”

The budget agreement includes a historic $20 billion multi-year healthcare investment. Creating better working conditions for healthcare workers will be a priority, with $1.2 billion dedicated to frontline healthcare worker bonuses, as well as a $4.5 billion multi-year investment in payment reform. Other landmark investments include $2.4 billion being directed to improving healthcare infrastructure and $3.9 billion in funding to provide aid to hospitals struggling financially from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The plan also reinforces Hochul’s commitment to giving children the best possible chance at success and parents the ability to participate and advance in the workforce by investing $7 billion over four years, more than doubling New York’s support for child care.

Tax relief to middle-class New Yorkers, the backbone of our economy, by providing the fully implemented reduced tax rates beginning in Tax Year 2023, to deliver relief to 6.1 million New Yorkers also is included in the plan.

In addition, New York will suspend the state sales tax imposed on fuel, the motor fuel tax, and the metropolitan commuter transportation district sales tax imposed on gasoline and highway diesel from June through December 2022, providing an estimated $585 million in relief for working families and businesses statewide.

Borrello noted he was in favor of the tax cuts in fuel and for the middle class. “There were areas of agreement where it was clear that the advocacy of myself and my Republican colleagues had an impact, most notably on a provision to finally repeal the fiber optic tax, which has been the number one obstacle to greater broadband access in our rural areas,” he said. “After fighting for this repeal for more than two years, it is gratifying to know that our voices were heard, and we’ve made a huge step forward towards addressing this issue.”

“However, I strongly supported fully suspending the state’s gas tax, which is crippling household budgets right now. Full exemption of the gas tax would save New York motorists 46 cents per gallon, a noticeable savings.

“Instead, the Democrat majorities included a partial, 16-cent suspension, which is a token effort, but too small to make a measurable difference.”