“For well over a year now, New Yorkers have been forced to be more diligent with their family budgets due to record inflation that is coinciding with the highest tax burden in the nation. Gov. Hochul’s state budget proposal totals $227 billion, $7 billion higher than 2022, a massive price tag that is tone-deaf to what people are feeling on main street.

“During the negotiation process, I look forward to advocating for taxpayers and producing a budget that more accurately reflects their financial struggles. Just yesterday, State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli warned that New York’s total debt could jump 42 percent by 2027. With this debt crisis looming and a possible recession ahead, there has never been a more important time to tighten our fiscal belts. I urge my colleagues in the Majority to recognize these financial realities before we vote on a final package.”