April 16, 2026 · 3,028 words · 5 speakers · 89 segments
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Madam Speaker, will you please call the House to order? The House will come to order. Good morning, colleagues. In the absence of clergy, let us pause for a moment of silence. Visitors are invited to join members in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge. to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. A quorum being present, the clerk will read the journal of Wednesday, April 15th.
Mr. Fall.
Madam Speaker, I move to dispense with the further reading of the journal of Wednesday, April 15th, and at the same stand approved.
Without objection, so ordered. We have a quote for today by Anonymous, and the quote says, Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present. And these words are by Anonymous. Members have on their desk a main calendar. Before any housekeeping and or introductions, we will be calling for the following committees to meet. Ways and means and rules. These committees will produce an A calendar, which we will take up today. I will announce any further floor activities as we proceed And members of the majority conference should be aware that there that there will be need for a conference following the end of session As always I will consult with the minority on their conference needs So with that, as a general outline, Madam Speaker, let us begin by calling for the Ways and Means Committee to meet in the Speaker's Conference Room. Thank you. Ways and Means Committee members, please make your way to the Speaker's Conference Room.
Ways and Means Committee members to the speakers conference room.
A couple pieces of housekeeping. On a motion by Ms. Hindman, page 26, calendar number 221, bill number A6388A, the amendments are received and adopted. On a motion by Mr. Weprin, page 33, calendar number 325, bill number A10030A, the amendments are received and adopted.
Mr. Fall.
Madam Speaker, may you please put the House at ease.
On Mr. Fall's motion, the House stands at ease. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. do okay Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you.
Madam members have on their desk an A calendar. Madam Speaker, I now move to advance the A calendar.
On a motion by Mr. Fall, the A calendar is advanced. Page 3, Rules Report 94. Clerk will read.
Assembly number 11000, Rules Report 94, Mr. Pretlow, an act making appropriations for the support of government.
Governor's message is at the desk. Clerk will read. I hereby certify to an immediate vote, Kathy Hochul, Governor. An explanation has been requested. Mr. Pratlow.
Absolutely, Madam Speaker. As we move along toward a final budget solution, we're going to continue to enact appropriations. This current appropriation before us will ensure funding for state operations and other programs through April 20th. The bill includes funding for additional emergency payroll, unemployment insurance, public health programs, MTA support, OPWDD, and veterans programs and general state charges.
Mr. Palmisano. Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. Will the chairman yield for some questions? Will the chair yield?
Yes, I will.
Chair yields.
Thank you, Mr. Pratwell. A few quick questions and I'll get into some others. First, and good morning of course, how much does this total the amount now that we would have expended in the three extenders?
The total appropriations to date is $7.5 billion.
Okay. And this increase above the previous extender is how much?
Over the previous extenders, $79.1 million.
So on Monday we'll have another extender that we'll have to do. What payroll and other expenses, state expenses, will that account for if we're taking up a fifth budget extender?
The April 20th will ensure payment of the administrative payroll, the administration payroll.
Okay. Just now, if I could, I do have some other questions, but before I do that, I just want to kind of get your perspective a little bit on where we're at. Monday we passed the extender. Since then, we've seen some bantering between our colleagues on the other side and the governor. One saying the governor's not negotiating, the other with the governor saying they're not telling the truth. And then you see some reports there might be some progress. And I kind of want to just maybe, with a little fun, I'll get back to our baseball discussion the other day about the innings. I mean, the Yankees won last night in the bottom of the ninth, which was a good thing. I know when we were talking the other day about just to put it in perspective, where you see we are from Monday, have we moved up in the innings? Are we still Now still?
Mr. Palasama, I remember how you asked me this question last week, and I thought long and hard over it. And we have nine budget bills to pass, nine real bills. If you consider each of these budget bills an inning, I would say that we're in batting practice pregame.
I love your sense of humor, but it's also a little skim. I know I was joking around saying, are we in extra innings? But in extra innings, you're right at that. Anyone can win in that inning, so it doesn't seem like we're even close to that even.
Like I say, we're in some people getting the hot dogs in the parking lot.
So we have some work to do. Okay, fair enough. Absolutely. So on that note, a day before tax day, the governor seemed to concede on a proposed new tax in New York, and although this idea is really not new and has been proposed before, the proposal is a change from the governor's no tax increase in the budget. Do we believe introducing new policy at this stage of the budget process allows for proper review, And has there been any language exchanged on the actual language that we're looking to adopt?
At this point, that's just under discussion. There is no official language.
No language?
No.
And since it's under discussion, I mean, has there really been any analysis? I mean, obviously this has been around for a while. Attacks like this, what kind of impact this could have on future investment in New York City real estate, particularly at the high end?
I think people will continue to buy high-end properties in New York State, especially on Long Island and Manhattan.
Okay. And even if capital is mobile, you don't think there's any risk that investors will simply choose other markets? And how does this affect our long-term property values and tax-based growth?
Much is said about the flight of rich people and them selling their multimillion-dollar homes, but oddly enough, someone always buys one, so they're replaced by another billionaire. So I don't think that that's your concern.
Okay. On that note, I know this seems like, does this proposal really address the root cause of New York City's budget gap, or is it simply just another way to add additional revenue to help close it?
This is not addressing New York City's budget gap. This is just trying to come to an idea or a path for the state budget.
Okay. And along with that, are there going to be any structural changes that would accompany a proposal like this to assure them long-term fiscal stability with a proposal like this?
No, that's not being discussed right now.
Okay. Fair enough. Another point I'd like to hop over to, I said, you know, earlier also we saw some comments that the governor seems now to be blaming the current budget standstill, at least in part when it comes to the climate discussions, on a lawsuit from climate activists related to the state's climate law in cap and invest. Has the governor provided any legislative language outlining the proposed changes to the climate law that she's talking about? Have you guys seen any language in what we're talking about?
I have not seen language, sir.
Okay. So, and I guess when we do see language, obviously it will be shared with us, I would expect.
Yes.
And hopefully I know when we talked the other day I bring this up again because our school districts are looking for school votes soon and don have that certainty yet On the climate issue I brought up the EV school bus mandate You seem to indicate that could be part of the discussions Do you think the EV school bus I think they have to be part of the discussion because the availability of electric school buses to date is really slim and I don't think that we can find 7,000 battery-powered school buses in the time frame allotted by the law that we had passed earlier.
I agree.
would be. So is it something that maybe you're at liberty to say that the majority is pushing for an official delay and not just a waiver process, let's delay the electric school bus
manning for the school district? I'm not going to speak for the entire, my side of the aisle,
but I'll say that is something that's under discussion. All right, that's fair enough. And do you think with comments from the governor, do you think the real issue, the opposition from the activists? Really, the opposition from the activists, is it about the challenge of meeting the aggressive admission targets on the timeline set in law? Do you think that's the timeline? Is the timeline feasible? Are the targets feasible? Is that why we should be looking to move the needle a little bit on delaying
this and postponing it? Well, this is really being driven by a lawsuit, as I know you're aware. It's not really the advocates we have to now abide by the lawsuit. The discussions are happening as we speak. If you read today's Times, several states are scaling back on the aggressive laws that we have written for climate change. Not that climate change isn't important and not that clean water isn't important, but because of actions on the federal level and the subsidies that were formerly being provided in wind and solar with making, and battery storage, just making those a little less likely to happen on time.
Sure.
And certainly, obviously, the memo that came out from the administration, NYSERA, is saying the cost with implementing the policies is part of that issue and discussion, too. So we don't have to get into the nuts and bolts of that right now.
I don't really need to necessarily do that.
So really then, the targets and the timeline.
I know what you're talking about from the federal perspective and concerns, but really the concern we keep hearing from the business community and others out there, the targets are not feasible, the timeline is not feasible, the grid is not ready for it from a feasibility perspective.
That's all being part of this discussion and should be part of this discussion.
Don't you agree?
Yes.
All right. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your time again. I appreciate it. I look forward to speaking to you next week.
Madam Speaker, on the bill.
On the bill.
Madam Speaker, my colleagues, what did Yogi Beres say? It's deja vu all over again. We see Groundhog Day, you know, you're going to see the shadows over and over again, like a dog chasing his tail. This is our fourth budget extender since April 1st. Four budget extenders, one budget bill. As the chairman said, we have nine more budget bills to pass. Obviously, we joked around a little bit about what inning we're in, but there's really kind of some uncertainty. uncertainty, we have a long ways to go in this process. And I just think at this point, the only emergency really seems to me is that this body really can't do this basic job of passing a budget. Maybe it'll stop softening the language a little bit. This isn't a delay. This is a complication. This is not a complication. This is really a failure. It's a failure of the process. It's a failure of transparency. And yes it a failure of leadership I will remind my colleagues our school districts back home are preparing their school budgets right now And they don know how much aid they going to receive from us to put that before their voters That's not fair. That's not transparent. That's not right. We can do a better job on that front. It seems that at the same time, we see this little bit of public infighting between our colleagues down the hall saying the governor's not negotiating and the governor calling them, saying they're lying. It makes for good headlines, but it doesn't make for good government. Let's be clear, this isn't divided government. This is one-party control. One-party control is controlling this budget process, and when the process is controlled by one party, there really shouldn't be a stalemate. It should be the exception, but it seems to be the norm. And then this week, again, the week of tax day, a brand new tax was introduced after the executive budget, after the amendments, after the budget hearings, after the one-house budgets. It really, to me, sometimes seems to raise a fundamental question. What is the purpose of the process? Why present an executive budget that is a roadmap that can be rewritten at the last minute? Why do we hold public budget hearings if major new proposals can be introduced after the fact, and then asking members, not giving members time to analyze and engage on it? That's really not how transparency is supposed to work, my colleagues. This is not how good policy is made. Last-minute proposals do have real consequences. It really denies the public of some meaningful opportunity to weigh in. in, it prevents a thorough fiscal and policy analysis, limits input, and shuts others out of the legislative process. It appears that we almost are just like a rubber stamp with a delay button. And that's not working. It's no longer about policy differences or tough negotiations. I mean, New York State is not a small state. It's not an inexperienced government. Every time we pass one of these extenders, we become complicit in lowering the standard of this institution and the expectations of the public. And what we're really saying here is not acceptable. And what we're saying, this is the best the legislature can do. It's not. And so, yes, we're going to pass this extender today. But really, let's call it what it is. It's not a solution. It's not progress. Just another Albany budget failure. And again, as Yogi Berra said, this is like deja vu all over again. Let's get to work. The New Yorkers we represent back home deserve better, so hopefully, I know we're probably going to be doing another budget extender, but let's get to work and get this done for the people we represent. So again, I will be voting yes on this extender, but we have a long way to go, and we owe it to the people we represent to do the right thing by them. Thank you.
Read the last section.
This act shall take effect immediately.
The clerk will record the vote.
Thank you Thank you. Thank you. . Thank you.
Thank you Are there any other votes Announce the results
Ayes 130, nays 0.
The bill is passed. Mr. Fall.
Madam Speaker, do we have further housekeeping or resolutions?
We do have a few pieces of housekeeping.
On behalf of Mr. Hevesy, Bill number A5893, Assembly Bill recalled from Senate.
Clerk will read the title of the bill. An act to amend the social services law.
Motion to reconsider the vote by which the bill passed the House.
Clerk will record the vote. Clerk will announce the results. Ayes 130, nos 0.
The bill is before the House and the amendments are received and adopted.
On behalf of Ms. Pollan, Bill number A2425, Assembly Bill recalled from Senate.
Clerk will read the title of the bill. An act to amend the Social Services Law A motion to reconsider the vote by which the bill passed the House Clerk will record the vote Clerk will announce the results Ayes 130, noes 0.
The bill is before the House and the amendments are received and adopted.
We have no resolutions, Mr. Fall.
Can you call on Ms. Clark for an announcement?
Ms. Clark, for the purpose of an announcement. Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm here to announce there will be majority conference immediately following session in the Speaker's conference room.
Majority conference immediately following session.
Immediate majority conference, Speaker's conference room at the adjournment of session.
Mr. Fall.
I now move that the Assembly stand adjourned until Friday, April 17th, tomorrow being a legislative day,
and that we will reconvene on Monday, April 20th at the call of the Speaker.
On Mr. Falls' motion, the House stands adjourned.
Thank you Thank you. Thank you.