S9002A

The New York State Senate passed its first budget bill of the 2025 session on March 27, authorizing $10.6 billion in debt service appropriations to cover the state's outstanding obligations and anticipated borrowing for the coming fiscal year. The vote was 47-10, with all 10 nays coming from Republicans. The bill, Senate Print 9002A (Calendar 657), includes $3.7 billion in cash appropriations and assumes an additional $10 billion in potential borrowing for capital projects not yet finalized. The debate highlighted deep partisan divisions over the state's failure to meet the April 1st constitutional budget deadline. Republicans, led by Sens. Tedisco, Stec, Walczyk, and Borrello, criticized the Democratic majority for controlling the Senate, Assembly, and Governor's office yet still missing the deadline. They argued the state should pass a more limited debt bill covering only known obligations and amend it later. Sen. Tedisco, who has served 44 years, said constituents would not accept an employee telling their boss they would miss a deadline and still expect to be paid. Sen. Stec cited a Siena poll showing one in three New Yorkers plan to leave the state within five years due to affordability concerns. Democrats defended the bill as necessary to meet constitutional obligations and provide flexibility for capital projects. Sen. Krueger, the bill's sponsor, noted that New York maintains excellent credit ratings from all major agencies and pays its workers even during budget delays, unlike the federal government. She said the state has mastered a system where bills are paid even while budget negotiations continue. The Senate is not expected to complete all ten budget bills before April 1st, with major religious holidays—Passover, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter—limiting available session days. An extender bill will likely be needed to authorize continued government spending after the fiscal year ends.