State budget hearings are getting underway in Albany, and Sen. Tom O’Mara is raising sharp concerns about the direction of state spending and its impact on taxpayers.
In his weekly column, O’Mara said joint Senate-Assembly public hearings on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed 2026–27 state budget begin this week and will continue through the end of February. The hearings will examine the governor’s $260 billion executive budget proposal and feature testimony from state agencies, local officials, business leaders, educators, farmers, and other stakeholders.
O’Mara, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said the hearings offer the public an important chance to understand what state leaders are planning and how those decisions could shape New York’s fiscal future. He criticized the proposed budget for what he described as continued rapid growth in state spending during a period of one-party control in Albany.
According to O’Mara, the governor’s proposal is at least $8 billion higher than last year’s budget, which was already the largest in state history. He said state spending has grown by roughly 50% over the past seven years and warned that additional increases could prove unsustainable for taxpayers, small businesses, manufacturers, and upstate communities.
The senator said Democratic leaders have ignored what he called an affordability crisis by failing to deliver broad-based tax relief, regulatory reform, or mandate relief for local governments. He also raised concerns about energy and climate policies, arguing that long-term spending commitments tied to those initiatives could place added financial strain on residents and employers.
O’Mara said Senate Republicans will use the hearings to push for lower taxes, reduced regulation, stronger accountability, and more restraint in state fiscal practices. He also called for a closer review of government operations to ensure taxpayer dollars are being used efficiently and legally, citing recent reports of fraud involving public funds in other states.
He pointed to the Senate Republican “Save New York” agenda as an alternative approach, focused on public safety, economic growth, tax relief, regulatory reform, and affordability. O’Mara said those efforts aim to reverse population loss and economic decline in parts of the state.
The first round of hearings will focus on agriculture and parks, energy and environmental conservation, and elementary and secondary education. Additional hearings later this winter will examine workforce development, health care, human services, and public protection.
O’Mara said the hearings provide an early look at a budget process that will ultimately determine the state’s priorities and financial direction for the coming year.
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