S3005C

The New York State Senate passed its Public Protection and General Government budget bill on a 41-21 party-line vote, with all 21 nays coming from Republicans who criticized the measure for failing to address corrections officer staffing crises and prison safety concerns. The bill, Senate Print 3005C, includes pension enhancements for various law enforcement agencies including SUNY Police, Park Police, and DEC Forest Rangers—a 20-year retirement benefit long sought by these groups. However, the measure notably excludes corrections officers despite their recent wildcat strike and ongoing staffing shortages. Republican senators, led by Sen. Stec and Sen. Helming, argued the bill represents a "monumental lost opportunity" to address the underlying causes of the February-March corrections officers' strike. They pointed to documented increases in assaults on staff and inmates since the HALT solitary confinement law took effect, seven inmate deaths from overdoses in 2024 attributed to contraband, and a loss of approximately 2,000 corrections officers since the strike began. Sen. Stec noted the state has allocated $535 million for emergency correctional facility response costs and currently deploys 3,115 National Guard members in prisons. He criticized the bill for failing to mandate use of body scanners to prevent contraband and for not reforming the HALT law, which he argued was the primary driver of the strike. The bill also includes controversial provisions on campaign finance reform, Attorney General discovery obligations, and AI-generated child sexual abuse material. Democrats defended the measures as necessary policy improvements, while Republicans raised concerns about campaign finance changes that they argued undermine the original goal of reducing big money in politics. The measure now moves to the Assembly for consideration.