New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D, I, WF, REF-Sag Harbor) announced that he helped pass a $175.5 billion 2019-20 state budget that builds on the historic progress that’s already been made this year and stays true to the Assembly’s commitment to putting families first.

Expanding access to child care, protecting at-risk youth

To ensure more New Yorkers have access to quality child care they can afford, the budget allocates $832 million for child care subsidies – an increase of $26 million over last year’s final budget. The budget also includes $334,000 to support SUNY and CUNY child care. The budget also creates the New York State Employer-Provided Child Care Credit, which is equal to 100 percent of the federal credit, for employers who provide child and dependent care facilities to their employees.

Further, the budget restores funding for programs that help young people – regardless of family or financial background – achieve success, including:

• over $33 million for the Advantage After School Program, which provides structured activities for kids to help them succeed academically, including $10.8 million to support minimum wage increases and $5 million for additional services;
• $3 million for Safe Harbour to help support victims of childhood sexual abuse overcome the unspeakable trauma they have suffered;
• $2.45 million for settlement houses, which provide educational, recreational and other social services to the community;
• $1.9 million for Kinship Cares and $100,000 for Kinship Navigator, which provides a support system for relative and non-relative kinship caregivers; and
• $1.5 million for the Youth Development Program, which builds relationships between children and their communities.

“The saying goes that children are our future, but the truth is, it’s what we do in the present that molds them down the line,” Assemblyman Thiele said. “When we give kids opportunities and support, we’re giving them a chance to rise above their circumstances. No child should have to face hardship, but the sad reality is that far too many do. We can’t just reach out a hand – we need to lift these kids up onto our shoulders so they can see past now and dream about tomorrow.”

To ensure continued eligibility for federal child care funding, the budget includes language to enact various provisions of law required to comply with the health, safety and training standards contained in the federal reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant of 2014. In addition to provisions related to compliance, language was also included to provide due process for individuals newly required to receive state and federal background checks under the federal reauthorization.

Further, the budget limits the circumstances under which detention and placement of youth alleged or adjudicated to be persons in need of supervision (PINS) in foster care agencies is allowed and restores state reimbursements to local social services districts for preventive services available to PINS.

Funding early voting

To help ensure every New Yorker has an opportunity to participate in our democracy, the Assembly passed a law establishing early voting during a nine-day period before any general, primary, run-off primary or special election to make voting more accessible (Ch. 6 of 2019). To offset the costs of additional poll hours for financially strained local governments, the final state budget earmarks $10 million for localities. The budget also makes primary voting hours consistent across the state, requiring all counties to have polling sites open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. This measure addresses a discrepancy that saw most upstate counties provide six fewer hours to vote on primary day than downstate. The budget also includes legislation ensuring that workers receive three hours of paid time off on Election Day.

“Giving New Yorkers more flexibility and time to cast their votes should boost participation in our elections,” Assemblyman Thiele said. “Voting should be an easy and convenient process. No one should have to jump through hoops to vote or miss out on the opportunity to make their voice heard on vital issues that will impact their life.”

Modernizing our voting system

The state budget enacts an electronic voter registration system through which voters can register and have their application submitted to the appropriate local board of elections online. The state budget also authorizes the use of electronic poll books to administer elections and provides $14.7 million in capital funding for counties to purchase e-poll books and on-demand ballot printers to support the implementation of early voting. Most states and the District of Columbia already use e-poll books,[1] which can reduce crowding at polling sites and get voters in and out much faster, Assemblyman Thiele noted.

Making our roads stronger and safer

To make sure East End residents can get where they need to go safely, the budget provides $438.1 million for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPs) and $39.7 million for the Marchiselli Program, which helps municipalities complete needed road and bridge maintenance projects.

“Our roads, bridges and highways connect us,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “Whether it’s getting to work in the morning or getting products loaded into a truck and on the road to a buyer, we need roads that keep us going rather than hold us back. The budget invests in infrastructure so New Yorkers can have a safe and smooth ride instead of added stress behind the wheel.”

To keep both drivers and passengers safe on the road, the budget also requires seat belts for passengers sitting in a vehicle’s rear seats.

Helping our veterans get ahead

While the brave men and women who fought for our country have a vast array of skills and invaluable experiences, there are times where they may need assistance when they come home. The 2019-20 budget honors the immense sacrifices made by our veterans by restoring more than $1.6 million to various programs that will help these heroes begin new chapters of their lives. These vital programs help veterans use their diverse skills to find gainful employment, connect them to needed resources and provide legal and other services to low-income active-duty members so that veterans and their families are supported in their transition back to civilian life.

The funding includes:

• $500,000 for the NYS Defenders’ Association;
• $200,000 for Helmets to Hardhats;
• $200,000 for Clear Path for Veterans;
• $125,000 for Veterans of Foreign Wars; and
• $100,000 for the SAGE Veterans Project.

Additionally, the budget changes the name of the state Division of Veterans’ Affairs to the Division of Veterans’ Services to avoid confusion with the federal department and includes $1.38 million to allow it to fully fund county and city service agencies. It also earmarks $4 million for the Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Project, a peer-to-peer program that helps veterans who have returned home and are facing the challenges of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

“Those who put their lives at risk to serve us deserve all the support they need to reintegrate when they come home,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “We owe it to them to extend a helping hand so that they don’t have to worry about where their next paycheck will be coming from or how they will feed their families.

[1] gothamgazette.com/state/8255-electronic-poll-books-next-step-in-new-york-election-overhaul