ALBANY- The 2024 state budget was approved on Saturday by lawmakers 20 days after the constitutional deadline of April 1st to have an enacted budget plan. The final budget deal totaling $236.8 billion was comprised of 10 broad ranging bills that include both policy and spending matters. Several of Westchester County’s state representatives responded to the final spending plan.
State Senator Shelley Maher (D, Westchester) considered the increase in school funding that was included in the final budget a step in the right direction. “The enacted budget increases school aid by more than half a billion dollars over the Governor’s proposal. This win is a testament to the parents, teachers, school board members, superintendents, and advocates across the state who made their voices heard over the last four months,” said Maher, who is the chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee.
Assemblyman Matt Slater (R, Westchester) was disappointed that the final budget did not include more money for highway repairs and improvements. “Investing in our state roads is critical to the safety and quality of life in our communities, and has been sidelined and disregarded in a $240 billion budget,” he said.
State Senator Peter Harckham (D, Westchester) celebrated funding to address climate change that made the final cut. “New York will continue to lead the nation in terms of protecting the environment and fighting climate change in the new state budget, which contains important funding for infrastructure to deliver drinking water to our communities. There is more work to be done, and we simply cannot wait to make the necessary investments that will lead to a cleaner, more sustainable future for all of us,” said Harckham, who serves as the chairman of the Senate’s Environmental Conservation Committee.
Other provisions included in the budget were new protections for tenants, changes to the state’s Medicaid program, and new laws to combat retail theft. The 2024 budget was balanced without raising personal income tax, a move supported by the Senate and Assembly but ultimately rejected by the Governor.
