Contact: Timothy Lantz

518-455-5981

April 1, 2016

THREE MEN IN A BUNKER OFFER UP MIXED BAG IN ENACTED

BUDGET
Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R,C,I-Deerpark) issues a statement on the 2016-17 New York State
Enacted Budget

The completely exclusive and secretive budget process produced mixed results for our
Hudson Valley community. I am outraged that negotiations were shrouded in secrecy, the bills
were released to the public mere hours before voting, and virtually all debate was done under
cover of darkness. No ethics reform in the budget and the nature of the closed-door process
proves Albany isnt prepared to police itself.
On the bright side, I am thrilled that the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) education
cuts will be fully restored over the next fiscal year. I sponsored multiple bills to end these unfair
cuts and return the funding to our schools. Furthermore, we have secured:

$1 billion in middle-class tax cuts;

$25 million in new funding for heroin and opioid addiction rehabilitation services;
Farm workforce tax credits;
Increased funding for library aid and SUNY and CUNY assistance; and
Additional funding to aid local governments with public protection and safety measures.

Despite gains for education and the middle class, we need to provide more tax relief for
the middle class, tax and regulatory relief for our struggling small businesses, and a more open
and inclusive budget process. I voted against several measures that would harm our
community, such as:

Increased funding for the SAFE Act;

Additional funding for disastrous Common Core testing; and
A job-killing minimum wage increase.

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