Analyst: Executive budget is "generally good news"

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — This week on Empire State Weekly: The Governor laid out her strategy to pay for her legislative priorities this week in the executive budget announcement. The proposed spending plan would cost 233 billion dollars for fiscal year 2025.

Blair Horner, the executive director of the New York Public Interest Research Group weighed in on the budget proposal. As well as Patrick Orecki the director of state studies at Citizens Budget Commission.

"But it also felt like, in many ways not surprising, a typical Governor's Budget where she comes in lower to let the legislature backfill the numbers back in some of the limits on Medicaid and K-12 are gonna run into some steep opposition in the legislature, particularly, from the powerful unions 11/99 for healthcare and NYSUT for K-12 education and so how that all plays out. I think is how the legislative session will play out in terms of the budget," said Horner.

"To the extent there were surprises it was generally good news I mean the state entered budget with a 4.3 billion dollar gap for the coming fiscal year, was able to close that in part with a lot of increased revenues the economy is doing better than we projected for the last year so that's great," said ORecki.

Also this week, Brian Fessler the Director of Governmental Relations for the New York State School Boards Association, analyzed education spending in the executive budget. Over last year, 35 billion dollars has been set aside, an 825 million dollar increase.

"Frankly were were somewhat surprised and disappointed with the overall aid package, especially in comparison to the great progress that we've made over the last few years. In particular we finally, in the current school year, achieved full funding of foundation aid. We were hopeful that would continue going into 2024-2025," said Fessler.

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