January 20, 2026
FROM ASSEMBLYMAN JOE SEMPOLINSKI: “The governor talks a lot about making New York more affordable, but then she rolls out $260 billion budget, her second budget of more than a quarter trillion dollars. This budget will only make New York a harder place to live, to work, to raise a family and do business,” Assemblyman Sempolinski said. gov. Hochul’s proposed $260 billion state budget is an increase of $8 billion over her 2025 budget proposal. “I think it’s important to point out that this budget, as bad as it is, is as good as it’s going to get. The budget will only go up from here as far-left members of the Democrat majority push for more spending,” Assemblyman Sempolinski said. Last January, Gov. Hochul proposed a $252 billion budget, but the final budget rose to $254.3 billion after Democrat members of the legislature pushed for additional spending. Over the last five years, state spending has ballooned $81 billion under one-party rule in Albany. “Our spending in New York is out of control. We spend nearly as much as Florida and Texas combined, two states with larger populations than New York,” Assemblyman Sempolinski said. in the current fiscal year, New York’s budget is $254.3 billion for 19.87 million people; Florida is spending $114.7 billion for a population of 23.3 million and Texas is spending $169 billion to provide services for 31.9 million. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, New Yorkers are moving to Texas and Florida to escape the high cost of living in New York.
“We are hemorrhaging people and businesses because of budgets like this. If we want to make New York a more affordable, attractive place for people and businesses, and if we want to keep the people and businesses we have, we need a responsible state budget that cuts spending, taxes and regulations,” Assemblyman Sempolinski said. Assemblyman Sempolinski said he’s very concerned about the level of spending in the governor’s budget, particularly an 11.4 % increase in Medicaid spending. County governments help pay for Medicaid, so any increase impacts property taxes. He’s also concerned about the governor’s “projections” of higher than anticipated sales tax revenue and revenue from Wall Street to pay for the budget hike. “It’s irresponsible, she’s just hoping that this money will materialize. In fact, Gov. Hochul’s own Division of the Budget is projecting a $34.3 billion three-year budget gap. Eventually that bill will come due and New York’s taxpayers will be stuck paying for it,” Assemblyman Sempolinski said.
FROM SENATOR GEORGE BORRELLO: “While our conference and fiscal staffs will be analyzing Governor Hochul’s budget proposal in detail in the coming days, some things are already clear.
FROM ASSEMBLYMAN PHIL PALMESANO: “The governor just proposed the largest budget in state history, coming in at more than a quarter-trillion dollars with a projected three-year budget gap of more than $27 billion. As usual, this budget seems to be filled with more misplaced priorities, out-of-control spending and debt. In fact, this is insulting to the millions of New Yorkers who have to make difficult decisions and cuts to their family budgets just to see the state continue to increase its own. The governor and Albany Democrats think taxpayer money belongs to them and continue to create undue financial stress on the hardworking taxpayers of this state because they fail to recognize it’s the people’s money.
“Under one-party rule, the cost of living has gone up, and outmigration in New York is second in the nation, despite the governor claiming she has a handle on the affordability and quality-of-life crisis. If the governor really wanted to address this issue, she would cut taxes and spending and put forth a budget that addresses the concerns of all New Yorkers instead of catering to the socialist and progressive wing of her party.
“The Legislature will now conduct public budget hearings through the month of February, where we will examine the proposed budget and question the governor’s agency commissioners, department heads and community stakeholders to evaluate the impact of her proposals on New Yorkers.
“I will continue to push for fiscal responsibility, public safety, lower taxes, less red tape, as well as oppose the costly green energy mandates and will prioritize a common-sense energy agenda that prioritizes affordability, reliability, feasibility, safety, fuel diversity and energy choice.”
FROM STATE SENATOR TOM O’MARA: “Governor Hochul and Albany Democrats can’t stop spending. It has been out of control, irresponsible, and even shocking. Despite all the warning signs, Governor Hochul keeps feeding a ‘spend, spend, spend’ addiction that will never make New York more affordable. It will keep driving hard-working taxpayers and middle-class families out of the state. It will keep killing jobs and strangling local economies.
