More than two weeks after original deadline, Governor Hochul announces preliminary budget agreement with legislative leaders in Albany.
The governor held a press conference Monday in the red room of the state Capitol.
Kathy Hochul was not attended by either State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie or State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
But according to the governor, legislators agree with the $237 billion spending plan for the state.
It would include incentives for real estate developers to build housing, as well as new protections for tenants, although the details are currently unclear.
The governor noted that increasing penalties for those who attack retail workers will be part of the budget, as well as more power for localities to allow them to close illegal marijuana stores.
A little more than $2 billion would go toward immigrant-related spending.
Hochul said everyone at the table has strong beliefs, but with what’s best for the state, they decided to come together collaboratively, something he said is not always seen in Albany.
Any budget deal still needs to be finalized and approved by the state legislature.
Some unresolved issues include pension policies for state government workers, and the extension of the mayor’s power over the city’s public schools, which Mayor Adams has been lobbying for.
