“In this budget, we see some important investments that will support our upstate economy and communities. I am especially pleased that after a lot of work and negotiations, our efforts to fight for better local agricultural aid were successful. We increased farm aid by $4.5 million over what the governor proposed. We ensured that this funding would go to programs like the Northern New York Agricultural program and other programs that would boost our region’s economic engine. Additionally, we increased our investment to our struggling rural upstate schools to $20.8 billion. I am pleased that we were able to continue to make the future of our children a priority.

“While these were great opportunities to support Northern New York and the Mohawk Valley, this budget still left much to be desired. We made every effort to make this a better budget for every New Yorker; we offered several amendments that would have restored funding for programs that support those with developmental disabilities, relieved mom-and-pop shops from excessive regulations, and lowered income taxes, saving taxpayers real dollars. Each solution offered, however, was rejected by the Assembly Majority. Overall, we need a better process to protect our taxpayers and ensure the best possible services are offered to our state residents.”