Jen Lunsford

And that’s it! The budget is passed! While the sun is up AND before the Senate! We’ve got A LOT of work to do over the next 7 days before session ends. So I am going to go get some sleep!

We are now passing the Capital budget which allows me to finally tell you what we got in exchange for our compromises of the CLCPA! We were able to secure a second round of sustainable futures funding, on top of the $1B already allocated for similar projects last year, that will allow us to continue to address the infrastructure needs and move forward towards creating the foundation we need to achieve the new, extended goals of the CLCPA. In addition, we passed the ASAP Act, a bill that helps streamline the interconnectivity of distributed solar projects onto our grid. These are meaningful investments in our state's climate future.

We are chugging right along. We have now passed the Health & Mental Health and Revenue bills. We are now on Aid to Localities where much of our support for our local municipalities and programs can be found. There's big news on childcare and UPK that I share in the graphic below. We also provide increased Aid and Incentive to Municipalities (AIM) funding to all of our municipalities, including larger, one-time support to our cities to assist with unanticipated budget gaps. Rochester will receive $35M.

We are passing our Health and Mental Health bill. I am pleased to see an influx of funding for our hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities, though I do wish the split of that funding between those entities favored our nursing homes and assisted livings slightly more. Not to take anything away from our hospitals, that need support now more than ever with the changes rolling out from the federal government, our nursing homes and assisted living facilities, who will receive less than 40% of this funding allocation, were in crisis even before the passage of HR1. In the Rochester area, our hospital systems also own a number of nursing homes, so hopefully we will be able to use this funding in a more equitable way than in other parts of the state.

I am also pleased to see a 2.7% targeted inflationary increase for our direct service providers, who do incredibly difficult work for some of our most vulnerable residents, though once again I do wish that amount was higher. The DSP field is a calling, and those that do it are some of the most patient, caring people in our communities. But they can't do this work if they can't survive on the pay. Disproportionately, DSPs are women, they are heads of household, they are often single mothers. Higher pay for DSP helps lift families out of poverty and helps maintain stability in our group homes and other congregate care settings. Too often, DSPs are leaving fields they love to work at Burger King because the pay is higher. We owe these hardworking heroes far more than we give them.

There are an number of other helpful, though wonky issues in this bill that I will not get into here. I am a yes on this bill and relieved that we were able to limit the damage done by the federal government this year. I am already girding myself for next year, when we will see the full impact of HR1 on our hospitals, municipalities, public health organizations and, of course, on the people of New York.

Today we will be taking up a number of the remaining budget bills, starting with the Health and Human Services bill and the Revenue bill. We will hopefully get through the rest of the bills, but that remains to be seen. If not, we will take up the rest tomorrow. You can watch the proceedings, as always, on the Assembly live feed and I will be updating you on substantive topics throughout the day (and night).

Live Coverage | New York State Assembly News and Information from the New York State Assembly

The TED Bill includes a substantial package related to Utility Rate Relief for individual rate payers as well as reforms to how rate cases will work in the future. Most notably, when utilities make future requests for rate changes they will have to disclose their executive compensation and won't be allowed to include those compensation packages as part of their recoverable costs in the rate case. They will also be required to submit, along with their rate increase application, a plan that is "budget constrained," meaning that it outlines how much they need to increase their rate to maintain the status quo, as opposed to increasing funds to perform capital improvements such as upgrading or expanding the grid. That way, the Public Service Commission (PSC) can make an informed decision that balances basic needs of the utility with the impact on consumers.

The RATES commission, which will include experts from industry, academia and economics, will help us understand the full picture of our electrical needs, the costs associated, and how we can best address these issues to achieve our common goals of providing adequate electrical power in an environmentally and economically stable way. The cost of grid upgrades, which are needed whether or not our electrical needs increase, is the primary driver of our increased electrical costs, and we need to find a more efficient, affordable way to make those necessary upgrades without overburdening our rate payers. This commission will go a long way to helping us identify those mechanisms.

We also provide additional funding for the Public Utility Law Project (PULP) which helps consumers negotiate utility bill payment plans, address arrears, and represents the public in opposition to rate cases against utilities.

We will be finishing up the budget this week. Today we are passing the largest and most policy-packed bill this year, TED: Transportation, Economic Development and Environmental Conservation. I am going to try to post graphics on the major items in this bill but it is very far reaching and I may not get to all of it today. This bill includes the changes to judiciary law relating to the auto insurance package, changes to the CLCPA and SEQRA, the utility rate package, other energy related policy, Tier 6 changes, buffer zones for Jewish houses of worship, schools and community organizations, as well as

Here is the bill language
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?bn=A10008&term=&Summary=Y&Actions=Y&Votes=Y&Memo=Y&Text=Y

You can watch the debate here: https://assembly.state.ny.us/av/live

Live Coverage | New York State Assembly News and Information from the New York State Assembly

This Memorial Day let us not forget the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms, our values and our ideals. Please consider joining us in a National moment of silence at 3PM.

Today, we pause to honor and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Memorial Day is a time to reflect on their courage, dedication, and the freedoms we enjoy because of them.

As we gather with family and friends this weekend, may we also take a moment to remember those who never made it home. Their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten. 🇺🇸

As AAPI Heritage Month continues, we recognize the incredible resilience and leadership of Senator Tammy Duckworth. 🇺🇸✨

A combat veteran and the first Thai American woman elected to Congress, she overcame losing both legs and partial arm mobility during the Iraq War to become a tireless champion for others. Her career in the U.S. Senate is defined by her unwavering advocacy for veteran and disability rights.