“My colleagues in the New York State Assembly have made it clear that the state budget should return to its function as a strictly fiscal document. Gov. Hochul’s budget proposal included a number of policy items, which were removed in the Assembly budget proposal. I have advocated for years for a bare-bones budget, free from policy issues.

“It is incumbent upon us to fulfill our fiscal duty to all New Yorkers and concentrate on allocating funding and managing assets, rather than trying to advance political agendas. Policy issues that have nothing to do with the finances of the state should be handled through the legislative process. This is no time to return to politics as usual because of a precedent set by previous administrations. We must focus on the task at hand and pass a no-frills, common-sense budget.”