State Senate, Assembly passes $229 billion state budget

(WIVB) — More than a month past the deadline, New York State lawmakers passed a state budget on Tuesday night in Albany.

The budget will be for $229 billion. The budget passed in the New York State Senate earlier Tuesday night, and then passed in the State Assembly.

The deadline was more than a month ago. Sticking points in the budget that caused the delay were bail reform, housing and charter schools across the state.

32 days after it was due, it passed in Democratic-led Senate. The State Assembly is also Democratic-led. It passed in the Assembly by an unofficial tally of 123-27. In the Senate, it was an unofficial vote of 42-21.

Republicans believe that the budget is too much and will cost taxpayers more.

“After weeks of negotiations and six budget extenders, the final state budget ended up right where it started; too much spending, too much regulation, too many taxes and too many reasons for people to leave New York,” Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay said. “Delays and dysfunction produced another runaway spending plan in the form of a $229 billion budget that doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of the state’s most pressing issues.”

George Borrello, a State Senator for the 57th district in Chautauqua County, is also against the deal.

“Yet, the sad truth is all the extra time did not produce ‘the right budget.’ It produced another bad budget that, once again, ignores New Yorkers’ top concerns – affordability and public safety – and spends us into a fiscal death spiral. At $229 billion, this budget means we will be spending $627 million taxpayer dollars every single day,” he said.

In Western New York, it includes a bill sponsored by Sen. Tim Kennedy (D) of the 63rd district in Buffalo and Cheektowaga that would disband the entire board of directors of the western regional Off-Track Betting program.

He said that the OTB has been “plagued with a pattern of mismanagement and misconduct.”

Area leaders are responsible for nominating members of the board, which will shrink from 17 to 15 members.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.