By Mary Alice Miller
State lawmakers passed a $268.5 Billion budget at the end of May, 8 weeks late. The budget was due April 1, but dueling policy priorities emanating from Gov. Hochul and state legislators led to intense negotiations.
Lawmakers blame Hochul for padding the budget with non-fiscal issues in a re-election year for her. But Hochul said legislators had plenty of time to address her priorities.

“I would’ve been happy to be done earlier,” Hochul said. “I laid out my priorities in January. …. I don’t set the timetable on how long it takes for the Legislature to understand this is my priority and I want to get this done.”
Affordability was the overarching theme. There were also issues related to changes to state climate change laws, limiting local police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, and providing financial support to cash-strapped cities across the state.

One of the most contentious issues for climate change activists was the elimination of mandated greenhouse gas emissions, which were set to be reduced by 40% by 2030, now replaced by a 60% cut by 2040. Hochul said the previous goal would have increased costs for consumers.
Hochul also secured changes to state car-insurance laws that would limit payouts to people found mostly at fault in a wreck. The change would, in theory, cut car insurance rates for consumers. State trial lawyers objected, while ride-hailing companies like Uber lobbied hard for the change.

A ban on 287(g) cooperation agreements between police agencies and ICE is in the budget agreement, but it does not prohibit informal cooperation between federal and local officers.
“Federal agents would be barred from performing law enforcement activities at churches, hospitals, polling sites, and childcare centers without a judicial warrant,” said Assemblywoman Latrice Walker. “The bill prohibits U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing masks while on duty. Local jails would not be allowed to hold people on behalf of ICE.”
Mayor Mamdani got tax-the-rich help from the budget. A tax on non-primary residences in New York City is expected to generate $500 million for the city, helping to address the city’s $5.4 billion budget deficit.

School districts, county governments, and individual cities are set to receive increases in state aid.
Individuals who are expected to lose Medicaid coverage due to cuts in Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill will not receive state assistance. But, hospitals and other health care providers will receive an increase in state funding to offset federal cuts.

The state will send out checks up to $200 to individuals and families that the governor says are intended to help with rising energy costs.
There is a new buffer zone around houses of worship, which will make it a class B misdemeanor when a protester “knowingly or intentionally engages in a course of action” that causes an individual to fear for his or her safety.

State Senator Zellnor Myrie said, “The budget delivers nearly $11 billion in Foundation Aid to New York City schools, an increase of nearly $538 million. The budget also adds $73 million to launch a universal childcare program for two-year-olds in New York City, and $205 million in state funding to expand 3-K in the five boroughs. We also increased funding for universal school meals by $55 million statewide.”

The budget also includes Myrie’s proposal to allow civil suits against government agents who violate the US Constitution, “Something we are seeing happen in cities across the country,” he said.
Among Central Brooklyn’s important cultural organizations and institutions that will receive state funding are:
*$4 million for capital projects at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to restore the iconic Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden and improve the visitor experience for all;
*$1 million for educational and community programming at the Weeksville Heritage Center;
*$2 million to expand access and improve programming at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum;
*Over $2 million for initiatives at Medgar Evers College, including biomedical AI research, summer programming for entering students, and a centralized database of voting and elections data;
*$3 million for deed theft prevention efforts spurred by the laws passed in recent years to support vulnerable homeowners;
*$850,000 for GrowNYC, which operates farmers’ markets across New York City;
*$800,000 for the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce to lead World Cup-related experiences and activations across the borough;
*$300,000 for BRIC to continue shaping Brooklyn’s arts, cultural, and media landscape; and
*$300,000 for the West Indian American Carnival Association (WIADCA), to bolster programming and offerings to the Caribbean diaspora in Brooklyn and across New York.

There is one week left in this year’s legislative session. The jockeying for what will get passed in the last week is intense.
One of the issues that passed in the Assembly post-budget vote is a comprehensive state study on the academic, emotional, and financial toll endured by youth caregivers.

The bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, takes direct action to support youth by mandating that the Commissioner of Education conduct a comprehensive, statewide study on the prevalence and impact of child caregivers—young students who juggle their education while providing critical care for sick, disabled, or elderly family members.

“Across Brooklyn and the entire state of New York, thousands of children are quietly carrying immense adult responsibilities on their shoulders,” said Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn. “These young people are balancing textbooks with caregiving, often sacrificing their own education, mental health, and childhood to sustain their families. For too long, our system has left them completely invisible. By passing this legislation, we are forcing New York to look this crisis in the eye, gather the necessary data, and build the structural safety nets these brilliant students deserve.”

Under Bill A3595A, the State Education Department is required to investigate: The exact number and demographic breakdown of child caregivers in New York schools; The hours and labor dedicated weekly to managing family care routines; The direct correlation between caregiving burdens and school absenteeism or dropping grades; and the underlying socioeconomic factors that push children into these demanding roles.

“We cannot fix a crisis we refuse to measure,” said Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn. “This bill is a victory for equity, education, and compassion. We are moving closer to a New York where no child is forced to choose between the family they love and the future they deserve.”