WATERTOWN, NY – Assemblyman Scott Gray (R, Watertown) issued the following statement after lawmakers passed a fourth budget extender, as Albany still has not agreed on a final 2026-2027 spending plan.

“I have often said that a late state budget, while not ideal, is largely negligible in the early days after the deadline passes. We have now moved beyond that point.

School districts across the 116th District and throughout New York state are preparing their budgets for public presentation ahead of the statewide school budget vote on May 19. This is the moment when families, taxpayers and community members review school spending plans and decide whether they support them. But there are two major issues that Albany has not resolved. Both directly impact school officials right now.

The first is state aid. School budgets are made under the assumption some amount of money will be allocated from the state, but this number remains unknown. Administrators must prepare a budget based in part on a figure Albany has not confirmed.

The second is the electric school bus mandate. As long as this requirement remains in place, school districts cannot accurately forecast their long-term capital costs. The mandate could impose a substantial, unfunded expense on local taxpayers, and communities across New York have clearly voiced their opposition by rejecting EV bus and capital cost proposals at the ballot box. If budget negotiations lead to a meaningful rollback of the EV bus mandate as part of broader Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) reforms, that would provide real and immediate relief for all school districts in the state.

Not providing these answers is neither fair to our school districts nor to the taxpayers who deserve an honest and complete understanding of the situation before they vote on May 19.

Passing a budget is one of our most fundamental responsibilities in Albany. Missing the deadline by a few days is usually manageable. Missing it by weeks while school districts prepare for a public vote is a different matter, and we should be honest about that.

I remain hopeful that this extra time will not be used solely to push through more spending but will be used wisely. If the delay results in significant relief from rising energy costs for consumers and meaningful rollbacks of the most burdensome CLCPA mandates, including the electric school bus requirement, then the wait may be worth it. New Yorkers are paying too much to heat and power their homes, and our schools should not be the next victims of Albany’s overreach.

Time is running out not just on our constitutional duty to pass a budget but also on every school district’s ability to provide their communities with clear, honest answers that they deserve. I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and in the governor’s office to get a deal done immediately.”