Dear Constituent, 

Below please find an invitation from my office and an important update on state budget negotiations.

Know Your Rights As a Utility Customer

I will be co-hosting a webinar next week with the Public Utility Law Project, Senator Pete Harckham, and several of my colleagues in the Assembly. Join us to learn more about our rights as utility customers as well as available resources. Click here to register.

Sincerely,

Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg

Yesterday, we reached an important milestone in the state budgeting process: the passage of the Assembly’s one-house budget resolution. The full budget proposal is available on the Assembly website; click here to access it.

For those who are unfamiliar with this process, this proposal is the Assembly’s response to the Governor’s budget proposal. The Senate has also put together its own budget proposal. Now that all three proposals are on the table, the Governor, the Senate and the Assembly will begin negotiating in earnest over what to include in the final state budget. The resulting budget will fund state operations for the fiscal year starting on April 1.

I have been very focused on advocating for a budget that prioritizes affordability and sustainability, and this budget proposal includes many provisions to do just that.

Middle-Class Tax Relief

This proposal includes significant middle-class tax relief, expanding eligibility for STAR property tax rebates and cutting income tax rates for households earning less than $323,200. It would also establish a new New York Works Tax Credit that would expand and enhance our existing Empire State Child Credit for families by including 17 year olds and increasing the maximum credit families can receive over time, among other changes. The maximum credit would be $550 in the first year, increasing to $1,600 once fully phased in. Our plan also accepts the Governor’s proposal to return a portion of the excess sales tax generated by inflation to households in the form of a $300-500 rebate check.

Many of you have written to me with concerns about the state of healthcare and our safety net for the most vulnerable among us. I take those concerns very seriously, and I am proud to report that the Assembly one-house includes a 7.8% cost of living adjustment for all human service workers, as well as increased funding for in-home and community-based services for the elderly and disabled. To fight food insecurity, we also propose to allocate $75 million for the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program, and another $75 million for Nourish NY. Our proposal also aims to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for healthcare facilities, which would provide them with much needed financial assistance and help keep doors open for all New Yorkers.

Infrastructure and Environment

Infrastructure is a major concern for so many of us, particularly our roads. The continued efforts of my colleagues and I are bearing fruit in this area. The Governor included an $800 million inflation adjustment for projects in the NYSDOT’s core road and bridge program in her proposal, and the Assembly proposal keeps this. We also propose more funding for programs supporting local roads and bridges, though not as much as I would like; I will keep pushing in this area.

communities through grants and technical training, funding projects to improve accessibility infrastructure along the river, create environmental education exhibits and classroom programs to enhance STEM education, expand free kayak programs, and assist communities with waterfront resiliency projects to name a few examples. Another item we have been pushing for is an expanded solar tax credit that will enable more households to take advantage of rooftop solar; this has also been included in the Assembly’s proposal.

Many of you have written and called to urge us to include the New York HEAT Act in our proposal. While the Assembly one-house does not include the text of the New York HEAT Act (the Assembly considers this to be policy, and tries very hard to keep policy out of the budget), it does include funding that would support implementation of key aspects of the bill. It includes $200 million for the Energy Affordability Program under the Public Service Commission, and $330 million for EmPower Plus, a program that helps low- and middle-income households to make energy efficiency improvements to their homes. Our proposal also includes a requirement that NYSERDA conduct an updated comprehensive study of energy affordability and energy burden throughout the state. I will continue fighting for New York HEAT.

How Will We Pay For This?

It is only fair for those who have benefited the most from our resources and economy to pay higher tax rates than those who earn less. Accordingly, the Assembly budget proposal lowers tax rates for low- to middle-income filers (as described above) while holding other rates steady and adding new tax brackets for those earning $25 million or more per year and increasing the corporate tax rate.

We are also continuing to insist on federal funding that is sufficient to meet our needs. As one of the top contributors to the federal coffers, New York deserves this funding. Our budget proposal is intended to meet the needs of a large and complex state, while also providing relief for households that have borne more than their fair share of financial burdens in recent years. We should not abandon these plans just to help the federal government pay for massive tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. New York’s federal representatives should side with their constituents and help us make life in New York more affordable.

Stay In Touch During Budget Negotiations

This message just scratches the surface of this proposal and our budget negotiations. If you’re not already following @AMDanaLevenberg on Facebook, Instagram, or Bluesky, I encourage you to do so to learn more and stay up to date. If you have questions about the Assembly one-house proposal or anything else, please feel free to reply to this email or call my office at (914) 941-1111. My comment form is the best way to share your opinions with my office; click here to access it.

If there are specific budget items that you are extra keen to see in the final budget, you should also reach out to the Governor’s office directly to let her know, since she has the upper hand in budget negotiations. Here is a contact form where you can write your thoughts. This web page also includes a phone number you can call to reach the Governor’s office.

Please continue making yourselves heard on the budget and other issues. It is very important, and I thank you for the messages and phone calls you have already sent.

Sincerely,

Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg