Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF, WE - Sag Harbor) announced that he helped pass a $168.3 billion 2018-19 state budget that includes a nearly $1 billion increase in education funding, invests in infrastructure and transportation repairs, protects New Yorkers from federal tax changes and institutes meaningful sexual harassment policy reforms.

“Because of a sizable budget deficit, we had to make some tough decisions. But we fought hard for a spending plan that stays true to our New York values,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “This budget gives all New Yorkers a voice. From the public school student who deserves every chance to reach for the stars, to the hardworking parents struggling to put their kid through college and the family torn apart by the opioid crisis, we’re here for you. It’s our responsibility to look out for you and to build a better New York. This blueprint moves us forward.”

Investing in public education

The 2018-2019 State Budget builds on the Assembly’s commitment to ensuring every New York student receives a quality education by providing a total of $26.6 billion in education funding. That’s an increase of $914 million – or 3.6 percent – over the previous year and a 36 percent increase since 2012. This includes a $618 million increase in Foundation Aid for a total of $17.8 billion.

“Our students deserve to learn not only how to read and write, but also how to think critically and creatively,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “The state budget ensures every student, no matter where they live or what barriers stand in their path, has those opportunities.”

To support students in underserved communities, it includes a $50 million increase to help high-need schools – including struggling schools, districts with large numbers of English language learners (ELLs) and districts with increasing numbers of homeless students – become community schools. In addition, the budget increases the minimum community schools funding amount from $10,000 to $75,000. The budget goes further to support ELLs by including $2.8 million in increased support for students who face language barriers, as well as $2 million for bilingual education grants for a total of $17.5 million and $770,000 for training programs to increase the number of teachers providing bilingual and multilingual education. It also invests $10 million in a second round of Empire State After School awards, providing after-school care for over 6,000 students. The funding will be directed to districts with high rates of childhood homelessness so that more children have a safe place to learn and grow outside of the classroom, noted Assemblyman Thiele.

“The affordability crisis in higher education grows starker every year, preventing far too many New Yorkers from achieving their college dreams,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “The budget provides substantial funding for state schools and the Excelsior Scholarship program because a student’s ability to pay should never determine where their educational journey ends.”

Supporting public and community colleges

The 2018-19 State Budget also invests heavily in SUNY and CUNY schools, as well as community colleges across the state. The plan:

• allocates $12.1 million to SUNY, and $6.3 million to CUNY, to increase community college base aid by $100 per full-time equivalent (FTE) student, bringing the total rate to $2,847;
• restores $1.1 million to SUNY, and $902,000 for CUNY, to Child Care Centers;
• restores $2.5 million to the CUNY Accelerated Study in Associate Program (ASAP);
• restores $5 million for Educational Opportunity Centers (EOCs), for a total of $60.04 million;
• restores $2 million to Advanced Technology Training Information Networking (ATTAIN) labs for a total of $6.5 million; and
• restores $92 million in state operating support for SUNY hospitals.

“Since their inception, SUNY and CUNY schools have provided an affordable, high-quality education for generations of New Yorkers,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “That’s why the budget provides these academic institutions with the tools they need to continue shaping New York’s future leaders.”

Protecting public libraries

The budget continues New York’s commitment to local libraries, providing a total of $96.6 million, an increase of $1 million over last year. Libraries not only lend books, they also offer resources ranging from adult literacy classes to job search resources and provide a community hub for everyone from the youngest children to retirees, noted Assemblyman Thiele. In addition, the budget provides $34 million to support library capital projects across the state.

Making higher education more affordable

A college degree is increasingly vital to landing a good-paying job and securing a middle-class living. Unfortunately, rising costs have left far too many New York families unable to pay for higher education. To address this affordability crisis and help level the playing field, the 2018-19 state budget invests $7.6 billion in higher education, an increase of $1.2 billion – or 25 percent – since 2012.

The 2018-19 budget plan allocates $118 million to support the approximately 27,000 students in the Excelsior Scholarship program, which makes SUNY and CUNY schools tuition-free for New Yorkers who earn less than $110,000 this year. When fully phased in, the program will enable more than half of all full-time students at public colleges and universities to attend school tuition-free.

Supporting at-risk youth

To ensure that the children of New York State have every opportunity to succeed in life, regardless of their family’s financial situation, the state budget funds programs dedicated to helping young people achieve success, including:

• $22.3 million for the Advantage After School Program, providing structured activities for kids to help them succeed academically, which is $5 million more than the executive budget;
• $15.6 million for the Youth Development Program – $1.5 million more than the executive budget – which builds relationships between children and their communities;
• $2.45 million for settlement houses, which provide educational, recreational and other social services to the community;
• $2.2 million for Kinship Care, which is $1.9 million more than the executive budget; and
• $320,000 for Kinship Navigator – $100,000 more than the executive budget – which provides a support system for relative and non-relative kinship caregivers.

“No child should be denied the opportunity to learn and expand their horizons,” Assemblyman Thiele said. “We’re funding programs that ensure children have a safe environment to succeed inside and outside of the classroom because every child has the potential to create everlasting change.”

The state budget also provides $3 million in funding for Safe Harbour to help support victims of childhood sexual abuse overcome the unspeakable trauma they have suffered and $758,000 to reduce caseloads for child protective workers.

Strengthening child care for New York State families

“Every parent wants the best for their kids, which is why it’s so important that facilities and staff members tasked with taking care of children have the proper funding to provide the best services available,” Assemblyman Thiele said.

The budget invests close to $80 million to ensure safe, affordable child care, including:

• $31 million for pre-licensure and annual licensing inspections for child care providers;
• $17 million for conducting background checks on child care providers and staff members;
• $15 million for infant and toddler care quality efforts;
• $12 million for ongoing training on health and safety programs; and
• $2 million for staffing system changes.

The state budget also provides a minimum of $10 million for new subsidized child care slots.

Combating the opioid crisis, substance use disorders

To combat the opioid epidemic and create a road to recovery, the state budget makes investments in prevention, treatment and recovery services, including establishing a stewardship fund. The fund will be supported by a fee paid by manufacturers and distributors registered to sell and/or distribute opioids in the state.

“Across the country, the misuse of prescription drugs has skyrocketed.1 Often beginning as an essential part in the recovery process after a medical injury or procedure, dependence on prescription drugs can lead to a substance use disorder,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “In response to this, we dedicated funding to continue our efforts to tackle the opioid crisis.”

The $100 million Opioid Stewardship Fund seeks to help curb the epidemic by creating a partnership with the pharmaceutical industry to expand prevention, treatment and recovery programs for individuals with substance use disorder.

The state budget also allocates nearly $250 million in funding to address the heroin and opioid crisis, including an increase of $26 million to support the state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) in improving educational and awareness campaigns, prevention, treatment and recovery programs and residential service opportunities. The funding supports a variety of treatment and prevention programs, including family support navigators, peer supports, recovery clubhouses and community coalitions.

Looking out for our youngest New Yorkers

“This budget stands up for our kids and makes sure their future isn’t at the mercy of budget cuts,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “From funding for the classroom, to making sure they don’t go hungry and keeping them healthy from the start, I fought to protect our kids, especially those who are at-risk and can’t afford to be left without a strong voice in their corner.”

The budget provides crucial funding for children’s health initiatives, including:

• $15 million to ensure that the expansion of children’s mental health services is not delayed;
• $3.82 million to restore School Based Health Centers; and
• $2.55 million to restore Early Intervention programs, which provide invaluable services to children with disabilities and their families.

Investing in communities to create good jobs

“Our state’s future depends on a strong economy that puts more New Yorkers to work, increases wages and promotes upward economic mobility,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “By investing now in communities across the state, we can attract new businesses and help existing ones expand and, in turn, create more good-paying jobs.”

To help secure New York’s economic future, the state budget invests $1.36 billion to enable local businesses to grow and thrive and attract new businesses to the state. The funding will be distributed through the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC).

It also establishes a new Consolidated Funding Application to help businesses find and hire talented workers and expand apprenticeships, especially in growing industries like clean energy and technology. The program will also focus on efforts to improve the economic security of women, young people and other populations that face significant barriers to career advancement.

Protecting New Yorkers from federal tax changes

The state budget includes measures designed to blunt the impact of the federal tax plan, which increases taxes on many middle-class families by restricting state and local tax deductibility.

One measure creates state-operated charitable contributions funds designed to help improve health care and educational outcomes for all New Yorkers. Taxpayers who donate to the funds can claim these contributions as deductions on their state and federal tax deductions, as well as claim a state tax credit equal to 85 percent of the donation amount. School districts and local governments would be allowed to create similar charitable funds that would offer local property tax deductions equal to a percentage of the contribution amount.

The budget also creates a new Employer Compensation Expense Tax (ECET) that employers would have the option of participating in. The ECET is a 5 percent tax on all annual payroll expenses in excess of $40,000 per employee, and would be phased in over a three-year period. The new tax would cut personal income taxes on earnings and a new tax credit would ensure that employees subject to the ECET do not see a decrease in take-home pay.

Tax cuts for middle-class families

The budget also continues phasing in middle-class tax cuts, which are projected to save families $4.2 billion annually by 2025. The plan reduces the state income tax rate from 6.45 to 5.5 percent for those earning between $40,000 and $150,000 and from 6.65 to 6 percent for those who earn between $150,000 and $300,000. Families will see average savings of $250 this year and, when they’re fully phased in, 6 million New Yorkers will save $700 each year.

The budget also continues the local property tax relief credit, which will provide an average reduction of $380 to 2.6 million taxpayers in 2018. Next year, the tax credit will offer an additional $1.3 billion in property tax relief and save the average New Yorker $530.

“Saving for the future can be an uphill battle when more and more families are struggling just to make ends meet,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “These families deserve a break, which is why this year’s budget continues these vital tax cuts.”

Supporting small businesses

Small businesses employ more than half of all employees in the private sector,2 and it’s critical that these economic drivers have the tools and resources they need to succeed. The 2018-19 state budget allocates $1.67 million for local economic development initiatives.

The budget also:

• provides $500,000 to create the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) /Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Technical Assistance Program to promote technological advancement and the commercialization of innovations developed through federally funded research; and
• allocates $400,000 to the Community Development Revolving Loan Fund and an additional $300,000, for a total of $1.8 million, to support Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs).

Additionally, the spending plan provides an additional $365,000 in funding for the Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) Development and Lending Program for a total of $1 million, extends the program for a year and gives priority to recapitalizing the MWBE Investment Fund.

“Small businesses are the cornerstone of our state’s economy and provide good-paying jobs to millions of New Yorkers,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “The state budget invests in critical programs that provide these vital businesses with the resources and support they need to grow and thrive.”

Helping New Yorkers achieve economic security

The state budget establishes the New York State Secure Choice Savings Program to help private-sector employees plan for their future. The program allows for a voluntary-enrollment payroll deduction IRA for employees of private employers that do not already offer retirement savings plans. Many business owners, particularly small-business owners, currently face barriers to providing retirement savings plans because of complicated setup and maintenance procedures and limited budgets, noted Assemblyman Thiele.

“It’s difficult for many workers to save enough for a comfortable retirement, especially if their employer doesn’t offer a plan,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “No one deserves to be left with nothing and forced to keep working during their golden years, though. This program will give more workers an opportunity to put money aside and prepare for the future.”

Providing aid to localities, investing in safe roads and transportation

The 2018-19 State Budget continues the Assembly’s commitment to helping local governments by increasing funding for the Aid to Localities program by $16.75 million for a total of $1.05 billion.

“This funding will go a long way toward helping municipalities afford the cost of providing essential programs and services to our communities, from mental health care to supporting seniors – all while keeping local taxes in check,” Assemblyman Thiele said.

The state’s spending plan also makes a critical investment in local infrastructure to make sure East End residents have reliable public transportation and can get to where they need to go safely. The budget funds the fourth year of the five-year $29.2 billion state Department of Transportation (DOT) Capital Plan, including $538 million for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Program (CHIPs) and the Marchiselli Program, which help municipalities complete road and bridge maintenance projects.

“Whether taking our kids to school, helping transport goods to consumers or even trying to attract new businesses to our community, reliable and safe public transportation is essential to everyday life,” Assemblyman Thiele said. “We must have infrastructure that meets 21st-century standards and supports economic growth and job creation, and I’ll keep fighting to ensure that happens.”

The budget also includes $225 million to fund the state’s match of savings from shared services actions to further help keep property taxes in check. It continues the county-wide shared services panels and removes a hurdle that prevented localities from sharing some specific services.

Shining the light on shady political ads

To increase the transparency of political advertisements and protect the integrity of New York’s elections, the budget expands the definition of political communications to include paid internet and digital advertisements and requires that all independent expenditures include a “paid for by” statement followed by the name of the independent expenditure political committee paying for the communication. The legislation also requires the state Board of Elections to keep a publicly available database of all digital ads purchased by independent expenditure committees.

“As more and more New Yorkers get news and information online and are connected to social media, we need to make sure our political disclosure laws keep pace,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “If special interests want to influence our elections, they need to take responsibility and be held accountable for the information – or misinformation – they’re spreading. The health and future of our democracy depends on it.”

Standing up against sexual harassment

The state budget takes steps to address and combat sexual harassment and provides more recourse for victims.

It includes legislation to ensure that employers across the state have comprehensive policies to combat sexual harassment in the workplace. Moreover, the measure bars confidentiality clauses in any settlement except when specifically requested by the victim. It also allows a state or local government that has paid a victim for a sexual harassment claim on behalf of a public employee to recover payment from the employee

responsible for the harassment. Further, it would ban mandatory arbitration agreements for claims of sexual harassment.

Protecting the environment

The 2018-19 state budget continues the Assembly’s commitment to protecting and preserving the environment. That includes the continuation of New York’s multiyear commitment to funding $2.5 billion for the Clean Water Infrastructure Act to ensure all New Yorkers have access to clean drinking water. It also provides $300 million for the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). A $65 million initiative, to be funded from both the Clean Water Infrastructure Act and the EPF, will be used to fund programs to help combat harmful algal blooms, which are threatening water bodies. The budget also provides $2 million for the Brownfield Opportunity Area program to help municipalities and community groups engage in planning efforts to revitalize communities with brownfields.

“From ensuring we all have clean drinking water, to preserving the many unique natural beauties across our state, we know how important it is to defend our environment,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “The federal government may be turning its back on its responsibility to protect the Earth, but we in New York State have a long history of environmental stewardship. Nothing less than the health of our communities, the safety of our children and the future of the planet are at stake.”

Honoring our veterans

New York State’s proud veterans have diverse skills and invaluable experiences, but they may need to rely on support and services to find gainful employment after their military careers conclude and they seek to begin a new chapter. To support our veterans, the final state budget provides a total of $1.96 million in community initiatives. These programs provide essential services to help lift up veterans and their families in their transition back to civilian life as well as support current active-duty personnel and their families.

The funding includes:

• $500,000 for the New York State Defenders Association;
• $200,000 for Helmets to Hardhats;
• $200,000 for Warrior Salute;
• $125,000 for Veterans of Foreign Wars of New York;
• $100,000 for SAGE Veterans Project;
• $100,000 for the Veterans Justice Project;
• $50,000 for Vietnam Veterans of America, NYS Council;
• $50,000 for the Research and Recognition Project; and
• $25,000 for the Veterans Miracle Center.

The state budget also extends the Hire a Veteran Tax Credit for two years. Eligible employers can receive a credit of up to $5,000 for each veteran hired, but that amount rises to $15,000 for each veteran with a disability that is hired.

“Whether it’s daily needs for their families, help with finding a job, skill development, counseling or finding any other kind of support, we owe it to our veterans to be there for them,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “We can’t let down those who have sacrificed so much to defend our freedom.”

Investing in agriculture

The final budget continues to invest in the support and growth of agriculture, a central component of the New York State economy, with increases totaling $13 million over the executive budget, ensuring funding for key programs.

“Agriculture is the lifeblood of many New York communities. We owe a lot to our farmers,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “This year’s budget invests in both proven and innovative programs to help farmers expand and grow their businesses, provide child care for their workers and help them keep pace with an evolving economy.”

The final budget includes funding for the following programs:

• $9.28 million for the Agriculture Migrant Child Care program, an increase of $1 million over the executive budget proposal;
• $5 million for capital improvements at local fairs;
• $5 million for capital improvements at pounds, shelters and humane societies;
• $1.9 million to the New York Farm Viability Institute, a resource that helps farmers become more profitable, an increase of $1.5 million over the executive budget;
• $872,000 for FarmNet, to help farm families resolve financial issues, an increase of $488,000;
• A $600,000 restoration to Harvest NY;
• $500,000 in operating support for local fairs, an increase of $160,000; and
• $400,000 for Farmland for a New Generation, which provides resources for new farmers as well as help ease the transition of farmlands to new generations.

___________________________________

1. nytimes.com/2014/02/11/health/prescription-painkillers-seen-as-a-gateway-to-heroin.html

2. esd.ny.gov/doing-business-ny/small-business-hub