The New York state budget is officially late with no clear end in sight. If you’re looking to gain insight for an office pool or a friendly wager on when it will be completed, don’t ask Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.
“I’m not helping anybody’s betting odds,” he told Spectrum News 1.
Heastie did say talks were moving again after stalling late last week, and the logjam over Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed changes to the state’s discovery laws – how evidence is shared with the defense – could be in the early stages of breaking.
“We’re talking on discovery,” he said.
State lawmakers passed a budget extender Tuesday to fund the state through Thursday. State Sen. James Skoufis wouldn’t bet on one extender being all that is needed to get the job done.
“In the realm of possibility, yes, I wouldn’t go as far as to say likely,” he said.
While the train may be moving, lawmakers say they still haven’t seen a concrete proposal from Hochul on discovery changes or other key policy after members weighed in last week, and Skoufis stressed that talks remain at a conceptual level.
“We’re still trying to figure out how to address the problem without undermining the legitimate purpose of the discovery laws,” he said “There is broad consensus, or near consensus, whether you’re the most left legislator or center left, that we don’t want to see charges thrown out for purely technical reasons.”
As talk of the governor’s top four policy proposals continues to eat up all of the oxygen in the room, Skoufis has a vested interest. It’s his proposal for a restriction on wearing masks in public that the governor favors.
“We’re trying, and we’re having a lot of productive conversation,” Skoufis said of the deliberations, which he stressed were still relatively new given the governor’s late-in-the-game push for the change.
Skoufis’s proposal targets masks worn with the intent to harass with carveouts for religious and health purposes. He acknowledged that support for the proposal varies, and ongoing discussions could result in some changes to his bill.
“The output here if we’re able to get something in the budget may look different than the input as with the piece of legislation and that’s fine, that’s what negotiation is,” he said.
The potential mask restriction has become entangled with concerns over the Trump administration’s immigration policies and their response to pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, as well as broader issues related to the war in Gaza.
State Sen. Julia Salazar is among those who are not sold, telling Spectrum News 1 that she can’t support the change.
“It poses a risk both to public health and to individuals’ constitutional rights,” she said. “There are serious concerns certainly as we see an increase in surveillance and enforcement.”
Meanwhile, as Republicans railed against their legislative colleagues for the late state budget, Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt indicated discovery reform and mask restrictions are places where there may be some rare common ground with Hochul.
“Most New Yorkers support a mask ban, most people would support, I guarantee you, would support discovery changes,” he said.
Hochul’s team has made it clear that getting the budget right is her priority over making the April 1 deadline.
“In January, Governor Hochul proposed a bold agenda to put money back in New Yorkers' pockets and keep our streets and subways safer,” said Hochul’s Press Secretary Avi Small. “The Governor is committed to achieving those key priorities as the latest round of budget negotiations continue with our partners in the Legislature.”