Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay issued the following statement on the failure of state officials to protect nearly 120,000 employees who did not receive their scheduled pay due to prolonged budget negotiations.

“On a day when thousands of state employees usually see their paychecks hit their bank accounts, they instead are witnessing a painful display of one-party dysfunction in Albany. This is an April Fool’s joke that no one finds humorous and few will forget.

We are all dealing with the harsh realities of a dangerous public health crisis and widespread financial turmoil. It is disgraceful that during these times, state employees on the frontlines can’t depend on their government to uphold a very basic responsibility.

To be perfectly clear, the failure to pay these many professionals is not a result of the COVID-19 epidemic. This has to do with a broken system and government that can’t get out of its own way.”