“While we move closer to finishing this year’s budget, I am disappointed that any hope of significant changes in process or substance with this budget will go unfulfilled.

Despite a glimmer of optimism after seeing updated conceal carry language mirroring legislation I introduced last year that permits law-abiding gun owners to exercise their Second Amendment rights within Adirondack Park and other state forest preserve lands, I became increasingly dismayed with each additional page of misguided spending and head-scratching policy ultimately accompanied by the typical ‘messages of necessity’ from the governor forcing thousands of pages of budget legislation to the Assembly Floor without the necessary time for review.

Another record spending budget - $229 billion in total - once again outpaces the combined budgets of Texas and Florida while still managing to fall short of delivering meaningful results for some of our most vulnerable populations. Even with broad support to provide a critical 20% Medicaid reimbursement rate increase for our nursing homes, the first such rate increase in 15 years, this budget will not come anywhere close to the level needed. Nursing homes will continue to incur huge losses and struggle to compensate qualified staff candidates resulting in the continued loss of access to much-needed and heavily sought-after care by our vulnerable senior populations. Coupled with a woefully inadequate cost of living adjustment increase for other human services workers, I am fearful a rapidly deteriorating staffing situation in our critical care service areas will remain unresolved and many in need will continue going without the critical care they desperately seek.

It has become customary for the New York State Budget to contain plenty of headline-grabbing claims of victory. Unfortunately, it has become all the more customary for these claims to be nothing more than window dressing that simply falls flat and comes up short. This budget has so far been no exception.”