Mammoth $254B NY state budget revealed, goes up for vote: ‘Albany at its cynical worst’

Albany’s chambers of secrets: Abusing ‘message of necessity’ subverts state Constitution

The New York Legislature always lives up to its poor reputation. The personalities may change from year to year, but the behavior never does. As we are writing this and as you are reading it, the lawmakers, in cahoots with Gov. Hochul, are speed voting a state budget crammed with nasty bits of legislation that had no public airing, no public debate and no public input. Not only is it bad government, it is unconstitutional government. In writing …

New York State $254B budget deal (almost) finalized

With additional reporting from Tandy Lau, Report for America and Amsterdam News StaffAfter weeks of delay, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that she and the State Legislature reached an agreement on the budget for fiscal year 2026. State officials are voting on the budget bills this week, allowing for small changes still.“Despite the chaos and uncertainty that’s just constantly emanating out of Washington, we still delivered for the people of New…

Mammoth $254B NY state budget revealed, goes up for vote: ‘Albany at its cynical worst’

The bulk of the mammoth $254 billion state budget deal was unveiled Wednesday with some last minute self-serving quietly slipped into the batter Albany lawmakers were set to finally vote on it.

State lawmakers start to vote on N.Y. budget

$254 billion spending plan includes policy changes for state prisons, electric school buses, involuntary hospital commitment