“As your representative in Albany, my top priority is to ensure families in our community can access the resources they need and our children can get the quality education they deserve. Today, I voted for a budget extender to fund state government while budget negotiations continue. While this is not an ideal outcome, it was necessary to keep government open and prevent a halt in vital programs and services.

“Long Island families deserve a budget that they can be proud of. This extender will make sure our schools and hospitals can stay open and law enforcement can do their jobs while a compromise is reached. In the coming days, I will work tirelessly with my colleagues to finalize a comprehensive, fiscally responsible state budget that prioritizes education funding, economic development and reforms our criminal justice system to protect our youth.”