Thursday, October 2, 2025

Budget Dance Begins

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Introduction to Budget Negotiations

The release of the 2025 One-House budgets from the New York State Senate and Assembly signaled the start of budget negotiations for the year. Lawmakers face a routine deadline of April 1 to come to an agreement on the budget.

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Understanding the Budget Process

This week on Empire State Weekly, Blair Horner, the Executive Director at New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), and Patrick Orecki, the Director of State Studies at Citizens Budget Commission, explained the political back-and-forth that goes into budget negotiations. They explained the One-House budgets are a rebuttal to Governor Hochul’s executive budget, and often serve to highlight the political maneuvering that surrounds state governance.

The Political Dance

"It’s sort of a dance that goes on for as long as I’ve been watching these budgets. Governors come in a little low because they know the legislature is going to want to add, so that everybody looks like heroes when its over." Horner said.
"That’s the nature of being the executive versus a legislator too: the executive is often the ‘bad cop’ in some of the big programs, like Medicaid or school aid — offers some saving proposals to start," said Orecki. "There’s not as much of that in this year’s budget, so the legislative adds that come on top of that which are really member-driven, or specific district-driven, they really bring up that spending total."

Support for Proposal to Ban Cell Phones in Schools

Also this week, Melinda Person, the President of the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), expressed the organization’s support for a proposal from Governor Hochul to ban cell phones in schools. Some opponents of the measure argue taking phones from students limits their ability to contact parents in an emergency. Person explained NYSUT members report cyberbullying is a common issue faced in schools.
"We see students taking inappropriate photos of other students, posting them online sometimes anonymously, and it’s really gotten out of control," said Person. "Because, you know, in my day, the bullying ended when you went home from school. Now these posts are online and get shared virally, and the impact it’s having on our students’ mental health is really astronomical."

Watching Empire State Weekly

To see these interviews and more, here is a list of how you can watch Empire State Weekly in your area of New York:

Conclusion

The budget negotiations are a complex and multifaceted process, involving a delicate dance between the executive and legislative branches of government. As the deadline for a budget agreement approaches, it remains to be seen how the various proposals and counter-proposals will be resolved.

FAQs

Q: What is the deadline for the budget agreement?
A: The deadline for the budget agreement is April 1.
Q: What are the One-House budgets?
A: The One-House budgets are a rebuttal to Governor Hochul’s executive budget, and often serve to highlight the political maneuvering that surrounds state governance.
Q: What is the proposal to ban cell phones in schools?
A: The proposal to ban cell phones in schools is a measure supported by the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), which aims to address the issue of cyberbullying in schools.

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