“With the state budget now five weeks late, and needing to address a $9.2 billion gap, one would think that the Legislature is working tirelessly to prevent the state from becoming insolvent. Sadly, this is not the case. Since April 1, four emergency budget extenders have been put in place, and there are no concrete plans for a budget to be passed anytime soon.”

“The dysfunction in Albany has reached a breaking point, and today’s debate on seahorse legislation is a prime example of that. Despite the fact I want to save my seahorse friends, I voted no on this bill in protest because of the sheer lunacy of its timing during this fiscal crisis. Over the last four weeks, the Assembly Majority has introduced trivial legislation, while continuing to send the rank-and-file members home after only a couple days of work.”

“The Assembly should be working around the clock until the budget is passed. My colleagues in the Assembly Minority and I are willing to stay in Albany and I would ask that our colleagues in the Majority do the same.”