Mammoth $254B NY state budget revealed, goes up for vote: ‘Albany at its cynical worst'
The bulk of the mammoth $254 billion state budget deal was unveiled Wednesday with some last minute self-serving quietly slipped into the batter before Albany lawmakers were set to finally vote on it.
The spending plan documents — nicknamed 'The Big Ugly' in capital lingo — provide a last-minute, warts-and-all look at much-anticipated legislation focused on New York City's mental health crisis, recidivism problems and more.
Gov. Kathy Hochul ran a victory lap Wednesday after a deal to revamp the state's discovery laws — a move to combat a slew of criminal cases that have been getting dismissed on technicalities. The tweaks caused a weeks-long impasse on the overall mammoth budget deal.
Advertisement
4 New York Senate lawmakers debate budget bills during a legislative session in the Senate Chamber at the state Capitol Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Albany, NY.
Hans Pennink
'I said all along I would hold up a $250 billion budget on this issue,' she said.
Sources have hinted to The Post that the budget's final price tag will actually be more than the $254 billion hinted by Hochul.
Advertisement
The discovery changes will prevent criminal cases from being thrown out over trivial mistakes and narrow how much evidence prosecutors must turn over to defense attorneys.
Involuntary commitment standards – the rules by which severely mentally ill people can be forced into psychiatric care against their will – will be expanded and loosened under the agreement.
Hochul and state lawmakers reached the deal after months of backroom talks prompted in part by violence in the subways, random attacks on the city's streets and Mayor Eric Adams using his bully pulpit to push for changes to involuntary commitment rules.
4 Kathy Hochul, joined by Queens DA Melinda Katz, Bronx DA, Darcel Clark, Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and Staten Island DA Michael McMahon announce changes to State discovery laws on May 7, 2025.
James Messerschmidt
Advertisement
The budget was due April 1, but it went far over that deadline — a delay that state Sen. Jim Skoufis (D-Orange) lambasted.
'I'm sick and tired of one individual – the Governor – superseding the will of up to 213 duly elected Senators and Assembly Members,' he said in a statement. 'The current operating procedure is nothing short of authoritarian.'
Albany's single-party Democratic rule also let Hochul, state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) and state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Westchester) sign off on a slew of self-serving deals for their party faithful.
4 The New York state Capitol is seen as lawmakers vote on budget bills Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Albany, N.Y.
Hans Pennink for the NY Post
Advertisement
The state budget package wraps in measures to help incumbents game New York's new public campaign financing system, allow lawmakers to keep collecting salaries from side jobs and assist Hochul in warding off a challenge from her estranged lieutenant governor.
'All in all, it's a generally bad Albany at its cynical worst, and we have nothing positive to say about this and how they've done this just underlines that these are self-serving changes Democratic incumbents,' John Kaehny, executive director of Reinvent Albany, told The Post.
The budget also includes a highly controversial measure pushed by Orthodox Jewish communities that would make it easier for Yeshivas to demonstrate compliance with educational standards that public schools need to meet.
4 A man who attacked an MTA worker with a hammer in the 14th St. and 8th Ave L train station in Manhattan, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022 is taken into custody by police at the scene.
Robert Mecea for NY Post
The state Department of Education required non-public schools to demonstrate their curriculums are 'substantially equivalent' to those of public schools. A 2023 investigation by the city's education department found 18 Yeshivas weren't educating students on basic English and math.
'Despite how people try to characterize this, this is not the elimination of substantial currency,' Hochul told reporters Tuesday.
The new plan will give the non-public schools several other different ways to prove substantial equivalency beyond those outlined by the state education department, which is opposed to the move.
Additional reporting by Haley Brown
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump won't allow 'mob rule in America,' White House says
The White House said Wednesday President Donald Trump would not allow "mob rule" after protests against his immigration policies spread across the United States despite a military-backed crackdown in Los Angeles. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also attacked the Democratic governor of California and mayor of Los Angeles, claiming they had "fanned the flames" of the clashes. "President Trump will never allow mob rule to prevail in America," Leavitt told a briefing at the White House, backed by television screens showing images of burning vehicles and masked rioters. "The most basic duty of government is to preserve law and order, and this administration embraces that sacred responsibility." Leavitt's comments echoed Trump's in a speech at the Fort Bragg military base on Tuesday, in which he vowed to "liberate" Los Angeles and branded the protesters "animals." Trump is in conflict with California authorities who have accused the Republican president of being "dictatorial" and seeking political gain by sending in thousands of troops to break up the protests, which have largely been peaceful. Pockets of violence -- including the burning of self-driving taxis and hurling of stones at police -- have triggered a massive response from authorities, who have used tear gas and other less-lethal weapons. "Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass shamefully failed to meet their sworn obligations to their citizens," Leavitt responded, accusing Newsom of having "fanned the flames and demonized our brave ICE officers." The protests erupted last week after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers carried out a series of raids in Los Angeles to back up Trump's hardline immigration policies. Trump has also called the protesters "paid insurrectionists" -- alleging that some of them had professional anti-riot equipment -- but the White House did not say who it believed was paying them. "It's a good question the president is raising, and one we are looking into, about who is funding these insurrectionists," Leavitt said when asked by AFP about the president's comments. dk/aha
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
France Moves to Curb ‘Ultra-fast' Fashion With Bill Targeting Shein and Temu
PARIS — As major brands scale back their sustainability initiatives, France is pressing ahead with legislation aimed at reining in 'ultra-fast fashion' platforms such as Shein and Temu, known for their extremely low-cost clothing. The bill, introduced by Anne-Cécile Violland, a member of parliament from the Horizons party, passed the Senate one year after clearing the lower house of the French Assembly. More from WWD Inditex Sales Slow as Economic Headwinds Hit the High Street Rebag Expands Access to Pre-loved Luxury Goods With New Amazon Collaboration Designer Vincent Van Duysen Opens Antwerp Home for Zara Home+ 4th Collection The unusually long gap between votes led to some watering down of the original provisions, exempting traditional fast-fashion players such as H&M, Primark, and Inditex-owned Zara. 'It's a relief that it moved forward, but there has been a shift in the goal of the legislation that it is now specifically targeting what is called 'ultra-fast fashion,'' said Pierre Condamine, spokesperson for the Anti Fast Fashion Coalition, an umbrella group of 11 environmental organizations in France. Earlier drafts had adopted a broader definition of fast fashion that included Europe-based brands. 'There is sort of a shift in what was supposed to be an environmental legislation, with the objective to shift the whole sector towards sustainable practices, while now it's sort of becoming a protectionist text,' he told WWD. The revised bill targets ultra-fast fashion directly, proposing a tax on small parcels shipped from outside the EU ranging from 2 to 4 euros per package. The fee is intended to slow the influx of packages from Chinese platforms to France, in a move reminiscent of the U.S. ending its de minimis exemption. Shein and Temu together shipped 800 million packages to France in 2024 — more than half of all parcels sent to the country. The French government will first notify the European Commission, as several measures, including a total advertising ban on ultra-fast-fashion platforms, require approval at the EU level. This process could take up to three months before the bill goes to the Assembly and Senate joint committee for resolution, likely in the fall in late September or October. Several key provisions may face scrutiny in Brussels, including the parcel fee, which could conflict with the European Commission's plan for a bloc-wide fee by 2028, and the proposed national advertising ban. Although Shein is registered in Singapore, its European headquarters in Ireland could present a legal loophole. As it stands, the bill mandates eco-contributions from fashion companies based on a 'bonus-malus' system — rewarding sustainable practices and penalizing environmental harm. Penalties could rise to 10 euros per item by 2030, though the methodology for valuing items has yet to be defined. The bill would also eliminate tax advantages for 'donating' unsold stock by ultra-fast-fashion brands, which are not permitted to destroy unsold items under an anti-waste law passed in 2020. A critical element of the bill is its specific definition of 'ultra-fast' or 'ultra-express' fashion. This distinction leaves out more traditional fast-fashion companies that have a retail presence like H&M, Primark and Zara. By differentiating between ultra-fast platforms and fast-fashion brands with physical retail locations, the legislation potentially creates a loophole for companies headquartered in Europe — Sweden, Ireland and Spain respectively — even though their production relies heavily on low-wage countries like China, India and Bangladesh via subcontractors and diffuse supply chains. The original bill passed by the Assembly featured the broader definition, but companies lobbied intensively over the past year for the narrower language, arguing that they contribute to local employment. Senator Sylvie Valente Le Hir of Les Républicains, who ushered the bill through the Senate, highlighted its targeted approach: 'We have drawn a clear line between those we want to regulate — ultra-express fashion — and those we want to preserve, accessible but rooted fashion, which employs in France, which structures our territories, which creates links and supports a local economic fabric,' she said. The industry group La Fédération Française du Prêt à Porter Féminin praised the bill as a 'step forward' in tackling ultra-fast fashion. 'It formalizes the long-standing collective commitment of many stakeholders to defend a fashion industry that respects workers, consumers, citizens, French businesses, and the planet,' the organization said in a statement. However, Condamine noted that while large global fast-fashion retailers remain profitable – Zara's parent company Inditex reported sales were up 4.2 percent in constant-currency in the first quarter on Wednesday — French high street brands like Camaieu and NafNaf have entered administration, and independent stores continue to shutter. 'The economic crisis in the clothing industry in France, it started way before Shein,' Condamine said. 'It started when fast fashion — Zara, H&M, Primark — arrived. Now they are saying if they're targeted, it will be a catastrophe [for jobs]. But they're doing great economically, and they're part of the problem.' Some lawmakers described the bill as a 'strong first signal' and indicated that fast fashion as a whole — including the European players with physical presence — could face future regulation due to unsustainable business practices. On the other hand, critics — chiefly Shein — have said the legislation punishes cost-conscious consumers and lower-income households. The company, which markets itself under the slogan 'Fashion is a right, not a privilege,' has staged events in French cities like Béziers. On Sunday, its director of government relations, Fabrice Layer, held a presentation in front of the southeastern town's city hall to rally public support for the company. 'We ultimately find ourselves with a law that is not only anti-Shein, but anti-Shein customer,' Quentin Ruffat, Shein's spokesperson in France, told AFP. 'This law, if passed, will directly penalize our customers' wallets and drastically reduce their purchasing power.' The company has also accused France's fashion establishment of protecting legacy brands and says it will continue lobbying to amend the bill further. Shein representatives did not respond to requests for comment. New research from l'Institut Français de la Mode (IFM) shows that in the first quarter of 2025, Amazon, Shein and Temu together accounted for 24 percent of online apparel sales by value, representing 7 percent of total apparel consumption across all channels. Online sales made up 29.4 percent of apparel purchases by value, including the online stores of traditional retailers. Best of WWD Walmart Calls California Waste Dumping Lawsuit 'Unjustified' Year in Review: Sustainability's Biggest Controversies of 2021 Year in Review: Sustainability's New Strides
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Newsom compared to infamous Dem governor who also tried to block National Guard
Vivek Ramaswamy said he sees parallels between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and another controversial Democratic governor who literally stood in the way of the National Guard and had well-known presidential ambitions. Newsom is beginning to "resemble" former Alabama Gov. George Wallace in several aspects of his response to Los Angeles' riots, Ramaswamy claimed Tuesday on Fox News' "Jesse Watters Primetime." The Ohio gubernatorial candidate noted how Wallace – an avowed segregationist who ran for president four times – forced the hand of President John F. Kennedy by preventing Black students from attending the University of Alabama. "[Newsom's] behavior is starting to resemble that of another Democratic governor from U.S. history by the name of George Wallace, who was the governor of Alabama, who famously stood in the way of federal desegregation," Ramaswamy said. Maxine Waters Taunts Armed Agents After Feds Slam Door On Her During La Riots: 'You Better Shoot Straight' "The parallels are actually pretty striking, if you think about it: Democrat governors, when you look at George Wallace, he resisted desegregation. Gavin Newsom is resisting deportations. George Wallace wanted segregated cities. Gavin Newsom wants sanctuary cities. George Wallace stood in the school door, blocking the way. Gavin Newsom is blocking the ICE vans. It's the same Democrat-governor playbook." Read On The Fox News App The former DOGE co-leader said both Newsom and Wallace "dodge[d] the feds and rall[ied] the radicals." "What they were both doing is really carving their Democratic primary path for their presidential ambitions," he added. "Gavin Newsom's presidential ambitions are going to end in the same place that George Wallace's did: In the dustbin of history where it belongs." In June 1963, Wallace prevented two Black students – Vivian Malone and James Hood – from enrolling on the Tuscaloosa campus of the University of Alabama and made his infamous "stand in the schoolhouse door." Newsom Says Los Angeles Rioters Will Be Prosecuted, Slams Trump For 'Traumatizing Our Communities' After Wallace refused Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach's order to step aside, he delivered a pro-states-rights speech and did not budge. Kennedy federalized the Yellowhammer State's National Guard under the Insurrection Act. Gen. Henry Graham personally confronted Wallace, who ultimately relented. The next year, Wallace primaried President Lyndon Johnson and notably won a few northern states he had targeted on his segregationist platform – but lost to the incumbent. In 1968, he tried again on the American Independent line with a counter-civil-rights message – splitting the Democratic vote, winning five states and helping ultimate victor Richard Nixon. During his 1976 run, he apologized for his past support for segregation. This week, Newsom objected to President Donald Trump's federalization of the California National Guard and the ensuing deployment of 700 Marines to Los Angeles to assist in riot response. Late Tuesday, Clinton-appointed federal Judge Charles Breyer rejected a Newsom request to block Trump's military deployments. Newsom continued to lambaste Trump, saying in a video statement Tuesday that, "authoritarian regimes begin by targeting people who are least able to defend themselves, but they do not stop there." Newsom also took heat for his riot response strategy from some famous Los Angeles residents, including actor Jon Voight. "You fool," Voight fumed in an X video posted early Wednesday. "They [the rioters] would burn you down like they are burning the cars and the American flag." Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom for comment but did not immediately hear article source: Newsom compared to infamous Dem governor who also tried to block National Guard
