Lots of maneuvering in Albany when it comes to putting the final dots in place and submitting the 2022-23 New York State budget.
Denis Slattery, Albany Bureau Chief covering New York State politics for the NY Daily News says, “New York has a final spending plan in place and signed by Governor Kathy Hochul April 9, a week after the start of New York’s fiscal year.”
New York’s late budget will include some relief at the pump for drivers in the form of a partial gas tax suspension that will not go into effect until June through the end of the year.
Slattery noted, “a revenue bill includes a gas tax holiday which will only apply to about 16 cents of the state’s 33 cent gas surcharge.”
In speaking about the partial gas tax suspension Gov. Hochul said, “the cumulative effect is very impactful for people as they go to the pump and have that sense of stress in their chest when they think about the cost of the gas as they try to figure out if they’re going to be able to afford it for the day.”
New York’s relief at the pump comes in the wake of several other states taking similar measures.
State Senator Peter Oberacker, R/C 51st senate district said, “the New York State 2022-23 budget was voted on mostly during an all-night legislative session and signed into law over the weekend,” and “the plan was put together in secret and totals $220.5 billion dollars nearly $8 billion more that last year.”
In regards to the state’s gas tax, Oberacker said, “while the savings in the plan do not match what I proposed, I am pleased to see a hybrid version of my bill included in the final state budget.”