Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C,I-Big Flats) voted in opposition to the debt services budget bill (A.3002-A) that came before the Assembly today. Friend contends that the bill violates the state constitution because all new debt on behalf of the state needs to be approved by the citizens and not their elected representatives.

“Every single Assembly member took an oath of office in which they swore to uphold our state constitution, and by voting for this bill, they violated it,” Friend said. “This bill authorizes payments on debt, which the people of this state are paying through their tax dollars. They have a constitutional right to oppose this debt. The debt limit prevents the state from appropriating the voter-approved school bond act in its entirety now. If we’re going to accrue this debt, and hold up initiatives passed by the people, we must put the debt on the ballot as the constitution requires.”