“The Assembly one-house budget priorities are both commendable and detrimental to New York state.  The restoration of much-needed funding to Medicaid— a loss which would have been catastrophic to our Emergency Medical Services, pharmacies and hospitals— is commendable, along with the adoption of our conference’s Database of Deals, increasing transparency in all economic development programs, and the rejection of the shared services (BOCES) aid consolidation. Nevertheless, the one-house budget was increased from last year by over two percent, contains no permanent property tax cap and includes a $5.7 billion increase in taxes over two years. Despite this budget increase, the Assembly Majority has failed to deliver important funding to veterans’ mental health care, infrastructure, special education, property tax relief and the reduction of unfunded mandates. So while this one-house budget proposal manages to spend too much, we are spending too little on the issues that matter most.”