With the state budget over 11 days late and no end in sight to negotiations, freshmen state lawmakers are getting a real taste of what Planet Albany's made of.

A late state budget may be business as usual in Albany, but it's a brand new process for those who took office in January. 

"It's been a learning experience for sure, an eye-opening experience," said state Sen. Christopher Ryan, a Democrat from Syracuse.

Several new members this week told Spectrum News they were warned about the state budget process carried out by the governor and legislative leaders behind closed doors. But nothing prepared them for policy debates that have pushed the spending plan more than a week-and-a-half past the April 1 deadline.

"Everything seems to work in what I would say is maybe dysfunctional to some level," said Assemblyman Patrick Chludzinski, a Republican from Buffalo. "If we were operating a business or a police department the way that this place operates out here, I don't think we'd be very successful."

First-term lawmakers said they didn't think negotiating a budget over $250 billion would be easy. But new Republicans and Democrats agree it's frustrating to be mainly kept in the dark about leaders' conversations.

"It's a major disappintment," said Andrea Bailey, a Republican Assemblymember from Geneseo. "We have schools that are going to be going for their votes with the public to bring their budgets forward for this next year, but they have no idea what the funding coming out of New York state looks like."

And legislative newcomers on both sides of the aisle also agree — major policy items belong outside the budget process.

Gov. Hochul has held up budget talks by insisting on her proposed tweaks to the state's discovery laws, or the procedure for prosecutors to hand over evidence to the defense. Lawmakers will not receive a paycheck until an adopted budget is signed into law.

Assemblymember Gabriella Romero, who worked as a public defender, argues the budget is the wrong way to negotiate criminal justice reforms. Romero is one of the members of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus who have spoken out against the governor's proposal.

"Why handle this under such intense pressures?" said Romero, an Albany Democrat. "Why not handle this during the legislative session where we can look at language, we can sit down, all the legislators can look at the words and determine the legislative implications the way it should be handled. And not behind closed doors."

Lawmakers will be forced to return to Albany as spending negotiations drag on and forego a scheduled two-week spring break.

Sen. Ryan said while he'll miss the time with his family, serving his constituents in Albany comes first — and that means delivering a budget.

"It's our job," he said. "I'm a state senator first. I'll come back here every day if I have to."

NYPIRG senior policy advisor Blair Horner has worked in the Capitol since 1984 and said while budget talks have always been secretive, any lawmaker can have an impact on the process if they want to.

He advised new lawmakers to learn the steps of Albany's budget dance, and get involved in a way that impacts their districts.

"They can articulate clearly and be an aggressive advocate," Horner said. "Passive waiting might be intersting theater, but it doesn't drive public policy."