ALBANY, N.Y. — Right now, lawmakers and advocates are combing through New York State's budget deal after Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a conceptual agreement has been reached.
It is nearly a month late, but lawmakers are expected to pass it soon. The budget was due April 1, but Thursday night, the governor presented details about what lawmakers have agreed to in Albany starting off by saying the budget outlines $229 billion in spending.
The first topic Hochul brought up was public safety and bail reform. That's been a big sticking point in negotiations.
Governor Hochul said bail reform was needed and she supports its premise, but she said judges should have more authority to set bail and announced the budget agreement removes the least restrictive means standard, meaning judges will be able to use discretion when it comes to people accused of violent crimes.
"It was important to remove that to give the judges the clarity. Don't fall back on that, but look at other factors in determining whether or not this person should be remanded or whether or not they should be let out on recognizance or with bail," Hochul said.
The governor also announced that the minimum wage will go up to $16 an hour next year in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County, and $15 an hour everywhere else. After 2027, it will go up based on the rate of inflation.
One of the parts of the budget 2 On Your Side has covered a lot this year is the climate section and how that could end up impacting everything from how you heat your home to the appliances you buy.
Thursday night, we got some more details about what might end up in the final budget. The Governor said New York would become the first state to require new homes and buildings be zero-emission. New small buildings would have to be all-electric starting in late 2025 and new large buildings would follow by late 2028. This does not include banning gas stoves in current buildings, just new builds.
Hochul also talked about making sure rebates are available.
"When it happens, ultimately, the cost of energy will be less, but there are obviously initial start up costs, so we wanted to make sure we had a very healthy fund to make that easier. You know, we're focusing on aggressive climate protections, but we have to make sure that they're affordable for New Yorkers or it won't work," Hochul said.
This isn't a done deal just yet. The governor said last night there are still things that need to be fine-tuned.
And, that played out Friday when State Senator Tim Kennedy missed a scheduled event in Buffalo after he was called back to Albany for a leadership meeting. It indicated discussions are happening and a vote could be close.