New York legislature passes long-delayed state budget — including provision for AG Letitia James' legal defense
It's about time.
Both houses of the state legislature passed Gov. Kathy Hochul's massive $254 billion state budget package Thursday night following days of debate and over a month delay past the April 1 deadline.
Lawmakers made the final votes on the spending plan Thursday evening after fierce debate over a provision slipped into the budget — first revealed by The Post — that could leave state taxpayers on the hook for millions of dollars of legal fees for Attorney General Letitia James.
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3 New York Senate lawmakers debated budget bills during Wednesday's legislative session in the Senate Chamber.
Hans Pennink
'This certainly is the height of hypocrisy,' state Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) said during debate on the Senate floor.
The provision tucked into the budget would allow a state employee to be reimbursed for legal bills if they face 'discriminatory or retaliatory treatment' from the federal government as a result of their employment.
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The revelation came a day before sources confirmed the FBI has opened an investigation into an allegation that the attorney general committed mortgage fraud by misrepresenting her primary residency on paperwork.
'I can't imagine a majority of New Yorkers not being outraged that their hard-earned dollars that go to the government are now being used or can be used to pay for private attorneys to defend public officials against charges of crimes that they committed having nothing to do with their elected position,' Lanza said.
However, Deputy State Senate Majority Leader Michael Gianaris (D-Queens) argued that the law is needed 'because we are currently in an environment politically where the legal system, the prosecutorial system, investigative bodies of government are being used to target political enemies.'
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle seemed to express more exuberance about the budget's passage than its actual contents.
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3 A provision included in the budget could cost state taxpayers millions in legal fees for Attorney General Letitia James.
Stephen Yang
3 Gov. Hochul is expected to sign the bills.
Hans Pennink for the NY Post
The 10 individual bills that constitute the massive spending package passed largely along party lines.
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Under state law, legislators do not get paid while the state budget is delayed, prompting lawmakers to line up in soup kitchen fashion to receive paper checks with their roughly five weeks of back pay.
Hochul is expected to sign the bills.
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