A Statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia)
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) poses with nearly 2,000 pages of ‘budget extender’ legislation that was passed by the Legislature Monday following a stalemate in negotiations.
“This nearly 2,000 page budget extender serves as a microcosm of the dysfunction, secrecy and incompetence in Albany’s budget process. We have been kept mostly in the dark for days and now are expected to vote on an almost 2,000 page budget extender that will keep the government in function until May 31 only minutes after it was printed. This is an absolutely unacceptable way to operate state government, and the state leaders and New York City politicians who are perpetuating this stalemate because they can’t agree after weeks of negotiations should be ashamed of themselves. Furthermore, they have cost taxpayers roughly $250,000 in per diem in travel expenses for legislators by keeping them here through the weekend while an agreement is being negotiated.”
