New Yorkers remain in the dark as Governor Hochul and the Democrat-led Legislature inch toward finalizing a long-overdue state budget, according to State Senator Tom O’Mara.
O’Mara, the Senate Finance Committee’s ranking member, criticized the budget process as a “broken” system that blinds taxpayers to the decisions shaping the state’s financial and policy future.
In a column released this week, O’Mara argued that the negotiations have been entirely behind closed doors, leaving citizens unaware of critical details. He warned that the coming budget will push state spending to its highest level ever, burdening taxpayers with a nearly $260-billion plan filled with new taxes, fees, mandates, and debt.
“Keep in mind that the enactment of a new state budget is the most impactful action that state legislators take every year,” O’Mara wrote, stressing that these decisions deeply affect New Yorkers’ daily lives.
O’Mara also denounced the practice of using “messages of necessity” to bypass the Constitution’s three-day aging requirement for legislation, which he said eliminates the public’s opportunity to review the final plan. He called for an end to this loophole, insisting that New Yorkers deserve transparency before lawmakers vote.
According to O’Mara, one-party control has eroded legislative checks and balances, leading to bloated budgets packed with far-reaching policy measures that should be considered separately. He urged reform to ensure a full public airing and appropriate debate before final adoption.
“The state budget demands a full public airing and the appropriate time for review and debate, but that’s never what we get,” he wrote.
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