Gov. Kathy Hochul visited Foodlink in Rochester on Monday to rally support from elected and community leaders for the policy changes she wants in the New York state budget.
The spending plan was due April 1.
Hochul said the delay is for the greater good.
“Would you rather have an on-time budget that doesn't give you everything I'm looking for, or would you rather have us wait a little bit and deliver exactly what I said I would do for you?” Hochul asked.
The Democrat said her plan is to “put money back in New Yorkers' pockets," which includes middle-class tax cuts, expanding child credit, and inflation refund checks.
Much of the budget holdup, though, involves a policy debate about pretrial discovery laws — specifically, when prosecutors and defense attorneys must exchange evidence, and what needs to be shared. Hochul touched on that issue, as well as public safety and mental health, but cast the delayed budget as a fight to deliver on pocketbook issues.
“This isn't about politics,” Hochul said. “This gets really personal when it's your family and your neighbors and your community that's suffering.”
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello, also a Democrat, said Hochul’s proposals will help secure the futures of area residents.
“When you make New York State, Rochester and Monroe County more affordable, you lift the burden on working families,” Bello said. “But most importantly, you foster an environment where everyone who's raising their family in this community has the opportunity to succeed.”
