Saratoga Standard

Senator Dan Stec has issued a statement criticizing the Senate one-house budget proposal in New York State. According to Senator Stec, the budget would exacerbate the state's financial crisis and fail to address key issues such as the broken Tier Six pension system and public safety concerns.

Senator Stec expressed his concerns about the budget's high cost and misplaced priorities, stating that it would increase taxes by $7 billion and spend $246.2 billion, $13 billion more than Governor Hochul's Executive Budget proposal. He emphasized that the plan fails to tackle the root causes of outmigration and contains funding for illegal immigrant support services that should be allocated towards tax relief or pension reform.

Furthermore, Senator Stec criticized the budget's cuts in funding for the state police and the proposed closure of up to five correctional facilities, highlighting the lack of emphasis on public safety in the Senate's plan.

Although Senator Stec acknowledged that the budget addresses some important issues such as raising Medicaid reimbursement rates and restoring Foundation Aid for schools, he ultimately voted against the proposal due to its overall negative impact. He called for better prioritization of the needs of New York's families and small business owners, urging fiscal responsibility from all parties involved in the budget process.