Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Gov. Hochul, lawmakers to miss New York budget deadline
By
Jon Campbell
Published Mar 31, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
lev radin/Shutterstock
By
Jon Campbell
Published Mar 31, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s first state budget will not be on time.
The state’s fiscal year will begin Friday without a spending plan after rank-and-file lawmakers were allowed to leave the Capitol Thursday despite having no deal in place. Hochul and legislative leaders continued to joust over issues such as bail reform and casinos in New York City, failing to reach a consensus before the midnight deadline.
For years, late budgets had been held up as a symbol of government dysfunction in Albany. But state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a Democrat representing Yonkers, told reporters that Hochul and legislative leaders were nearing agreements on major issues and would still have a “timely” agreement – though lawmakers aren’t currently scheduled to return to session at the Capitol until Monday.
“I will say that we're close on a lot of the issues,” she said. “Can I say everything's locked down? No. But we are very close on a lot of the issues.”
The lack of a budget leaves several major issues up in the air as Hochul and legislative leaders continue to negotiate on items like a push for billions of dollars in child care subsidies and a raise for home health care workers. Hochul’s preliminary budget stood at $216 billion.
But there will be little practical effect until Monday. If lawmakers don’t approve a budget or a temporary extender by 4 p.m., more than 60,000 institutional state workers – including corrections officers and nurses – could see their paychecks disrupted until a budget is in place, according to the state Comptroller’s Office.
Budget negotiations have been upended in recent weeks by two major pushes from Hochul.
The first came March 16, when Hochul sent legislative leaders a 10-point criminal justice plan that would make significant changes to the state’s landmark bail and discovery reforms. Her plan, which has been met with stiff opposition from progressives, would make it easier for judges to impose cash bail on repeat offenders and those considered a danger to the community.
The second came Monday, when Hochul’s office announced an agreement to build a new, $1.4 billion stadium for her hometown Buffalo Bills, with taxpayers picking up $850 million of the construction tab. The state’s share would be $600 million, which Hochul is hoping to include in the budget despite criticism from lawmakers who say the money could be better spent. Erie County, home to the Bills, would foot $250 million to build the stadium.
In a statement Thursday, Hochul said she continues to have “productive conversations” with Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.
“We are getting closer to agreement, with consensus on major policy items,” she said. “New Yorkers should know that progress is being made and that we will put in the time it takes to reach an agreement that delivers for them and moves our state forward."
Stewart-Cousins and Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris, who represents Queens, were careful to strike a generally upbeat tone. But Gianaris acknowledged that Hochul’s late policy pushes had clearly complicated the negotiations.
“[Hochul’s] fighting hard for the issues she cares about, and we’re doing the same,” Gianaris said. “I think the unfortunate part is there’s been a significant amount of non-budgetary issues thrown into the mix towards the end and that has slowed us down.”
By Thursday afternoon, lawmakers were told they were free to return home to their districts as Hochul and legislative leaders continued to negotiate. On the Senate side, lawmakers are expected to have a closed-door conference on Sunday on any negotiating progress, with the goal of voting on budget bills Monday.
“We definitely feel the pressure to get this done by Monday,” said state Sen. Jessica Ramos, who also represents Queens.
Tagged
Hochul
budget
Jon Campbell
Jon Campbell covers the New York State Capitol for WNYC and Gothamist. Prior to that, he covered the Capitol for more than a decade for the USA TODAY Network. He has twice earned the Walter T. Brown Memorial Award, an honor given annually by the Legislative Correspondents Association alumni for outstanding state government coverage. Jon grew up in the Buffalo area and graduated from the University at Albany. Got a tip? Email Jon at [email protected] or Signal at JonCampbellNY.90.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Why New Yorkers should care about bats beyond spooky season
As Bat Week begins, state wildlife officials urge New Yorkers to protect bats, which play an important role in the environment.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 25, 2026 at 6:44 p.m. ET
Serbians forced to wait hours to vote at NYC consulate as Balkan nation holds election
Early voting may have kicked off in New York this weekend, but Serbian immigrants seeking to vote had a much tighter window on Sunday.
By
Jill Webb
and
Michael Sol Warren
News
Serbians forced to wait hours to vote at NYC consulate as Balkan nation holds election
Early voting may have kicked off in New York this weekend, but Serbian immigrants seeking to vote had a much tighter window on Sunday.
By
Jill Webb
and
Michael Sol Warren
Retired NYPD detective charged in George Washington Bridge killing out on $1M bail
By
Michael Sol Warren
Suicides decline in NYC, but inequities persist across groups
By
Jill Webb
Cuts to rural healthcare become key issue for upstate votes in race for NY governor
By
Samuel King
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .