Dear Constituent,

You have probably heard by now that the 2024 state budget finally passed last night. It is important to acknowledge that the work of building a balanced budget that meets the needs of a state as large and diverse as New York is incredibly difficult. Everyone involved in this process, but particularly our state leadership and their staff, deserves a huge round of applause for getting us over the finish line.

For those of you not familiar with the state budget process, the final budget that was approved last night is the product of negotiation between the Governor and the two houses of the Legislature. From the start, there were many areas of broad agreement between the Legislature and the Governor, as well as areas where the parties were able to come to quick agreement. These have not been discussed as much in the press as the areas of disagreement, which can color perception negatively. Rest assured, the final budget contains many funding decisions that will place our state on a strong path moving forward. Some big highlights include:

• Record funding for public schools, including fully funding Foundation Aid. As a former member of the Ossining school board, this is a particularly poignant victory. Finally! We have fought so hard for this, for so long.
• Transformative investments in a fair transition to a green energy future. This budget sets New York on a course to end gas hookups in new construction in the next few years, shifting us toward all-electric buildings. The Build Public Renewables Act also passed with the budget, which will increase the amount and the affordability of renewable power sources in the state, shifting us away from fossil-fuel derived electricity. These and other agreements included in the budget will help us with a timely transition to a green economy, while also protecting workers in the energy industry and ensuring that residents can afford their bills.
• New programs and funding for high-quality, affordable child care
• Expansion of the Child Tax Credit to include children under 4
• Support for volunteer fire departments across the state with $25 million in capital funding
• Big investments in mental health care
• Support for immigrants, including legal services, assistance for those pursuing citizenship, and funding for community-based programs
• Preventing tuition hikes for in-state CUNY & SUNY students, avoiding additional burdens on young New Yorkers starting out and their families
• New funding to support reproductive health care providers

I also want to shout out funding for a Bear Mountain Parkway corridor study, announced yesterday. The state roads in this district sorely need attention. I was also glad that the Legislature was successful in pushing for an additional $100 million in funding for our local roads. I will continue to push for the funding that my district and DOT Region 8 need to address this critical infrastructure.

That said, there is still much we will need to fight for. We will be continuing to work on housing, given how great and urgent the needs are. I will continue fighting for tenant protections and assistance. I will also be working with colleagues from neighboring districts to come up with a plan for building more housing, particularly more affordable housing, with input from local municipalities. We must take transformative action to address our housing problems, but we will not be able to do so with a one-size-fits-all, top-down approach.

Ensuring that our essential workers get the wages they deserve will be another area of continued focus, along with fighting for a livable minimum wage in general. We were successful in getting raises for home care workers ($1.55/hour above current earnings starting in January 2024, then indexed to inflation in future years), and Direct Service Providers (a 4% cost of living adjustment). On the one hand, it must be said that these raises fall short of what workers need to make the difficult work they do worthwhile in a high cost of living state like New York. It undermines our communities when these positions face high turnover because people leave for higher-paying or less demanding work, or move to other areas with a lower cost of living. On the other hand, it is challenging to make the numbers work given the way these positions are funded. We will need to continue to look at how we can maximize wage growth for these workers.

Some of you have written to me in recent weeks expressing concern about rollbacks to criminal justice reform. I am happy to report that this budget includes significant funding to support discovery reform, a critical step toward ending New York’s shameful record of wrongful convictions and ensuring fair trials in this state. In general, the budget includes lots of investments that will help prevent crime. The work we do to build healthy communities - environmentally, economically, physically and mentally, all through the lens of equity - will strike at many of the root causes of crime. It is my hope that as we continue to invest in building healthy communities, fewer people will find themselves entangled in the criminal justice system. However, we will still need to continue to work toward a criminal justice system that is fair to all plaintiffs and defendants, without regard to income or race.

There is much more to the budget than what I have covered here. You can read more about it at the budget section of the Assembly website, and feel free to reach out to my office with any questions. 

Sincerely,
Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg