Column: State Senator Tom O'Mara

"Another state budget holdup ignoring key discussions"

ALBANY, March 29, 2026 -- Before leaving the Capitol late last week, Albany Democrats approved the first piece of what will ultimately be their new fiscal plan for New York State.

It's important to note, in my view, that their first action included authorizing the state to borrow an extra $10 billion without spelling out for taxpayers what exactly these billions of dollars will be used for. At the same time, during the floor debate over this move, leading Senate Democrats fully acknowledged that this year's final state budget, which is supposed to be in place by April 1, won't be enacted on time.

Last week's bottom line signals exactly where we're headed, once again, with this state under complete, one-party control: A late state budget with a holdup hinging on, in large part, deciding how to spend more, how to keep moving forward on an unworkable and unaffordable climate agenda, and where to find the new revenue needed to keep trying to keep it all afloat.

At least, that's how many of us see it playing out again this year, like it has over and over again for the past seven years of Democrat control.

In other words, the future of New York State isn't revolving around desperately needed economic and fiscal discussions that should be dominating this budget process and every budget cycle for the foreseeable future. It isn't revolving around serious discussions over how to lighten New York State's heavy tax burden, even though New York remains one of the overall highest-taxed states in America.

Upstate United put it this way when New York State came in dead last in the Tax Foundation's most recent State Tax Competitive Index: "The Tax Foundation has once again ranked New York as the worst state in its State Competitive Index ... These high rates, when combined with the state's inaction to address financial sector strongholds relocating to Texas or refusal to change course on major climate policies, indicate our leaders are failing to meet the moment. If New York wants to be competitive in the race for economic development, we need to first stop running in the wrong direction. If the status quo remains, our ability to compete with other states, whether over affordability or employment opportunities, will continue to diminish."

"Running in the wrong direction" puts it mildly.

There are no serious discussions this year over the ever-exploding costs of Medicaid, how to get it under control, or how to finally address, head on, the abuse, fraud, and waste costing taxpayers billions of dollars annually.

From a recent Empire Center analysis and commentary: "New York's Medicaid program is the costliest in the U.S. In 2024, the program spent $4,492 per state resident, which was 77 percent above the national average and 24 percent higher than the runner-up, Kentucky. New York could have shed $18 billion from its program and still ranked No. 1 ... The lead state agency for anti-fraud enforcement is the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, or MFCU, which is based in the attorney general's office.

"Given the scale of New York's Medicaid program -- which is projected to spend $111 billion this fiscal year -- the number of investigations conducted by the (Medicaid Fraud Control Unit) is proportionally low. An analysis of nationwide MFCU records from 2020 through 2024 shows that New York's unit completed an average of eight investigations per billion dollars spent, which was the third-lowest rate among the 50 states and 63 percent below the U.S. average."

There are no serious discussions over relief for local businesses, local schools, local utility ratepayers, and local economies from the longstanding burden of unfunded state mandates, including fast approaching, unworkable, and unrealistic climate mandates like the all-electric school bus mandate that's still on track to potentially be the hardest hit ever on our schools and local property taxpayers.

Nor are there serious discussions over effectively addressing a staffing and safety crisis within state prisons following the strike-related firing of over 2,000 corrections officers. Instead of serious thinking about how to address this staffing shortage and the ongoing deterioration of prison safety, the sole answer from the Hochul administration so far is to continue relying on the National Guard, untrained for this purpose and at exorbitant cost, estimated to be four to five times more than the actual cost for corrections officers, and to focus on implementing accelerated early release plans to set more prisoners free.

And there are no serious discussions over the number one question that all New Yorkers should be asking: Can New York taxpayers ever afford the rate of spending that has defined state government over the past seven years under one-party, all-Democrat control?

Because that's where we're headed again. That's the fundamental question that keeps being ignored.

This has been the biggest spending era in state history. If the spending plan everyone expects to be approved when Governor Hochul and legislative Democrats get around to it this year, state spending will have increased by a staggering amount approaching $100 billion since 2019.

In other words, they're more than willing to keep on spending money that's not there.

Fundamentally -- and from any perspective at all of common sense -- it's reckless. It's out of control. It directs billions upon billions of taxpayer dollars into what many consider misguided, politically driven, and even frivolous actions and handouts.

And to pay for it, again by their own admission, they go in search of new or higher taxes and fees, more borrowing, and other fiscal irresponsibility.

Photo in text: State Senator Tom O'Mara

Legislature Chairman

Carl Blowers, 535-6174 or 237-5469

Legislature Members:

Gary Gray, 292-9922

Robert Halpin

Jeffrey Fazzary

Gail M. Walker

Phil Barnes, Watkins Glen, 481-0482

Mark Rondinaro, 398-0648

Laurence Jaynes

County Clerk: Theresa Philbin, 535-8133

Sheriff: Kevin Rumsey, 535-8222

Undersheriff: Andrew Zeigler, 535-8222

County Treasurer: Holley Sokolowski, 535-8181

District Attorney: Jeremy Hourilhan, 535-8383

State, Federal Officials for Schuyler County

Sen. Charles E. Schumer

United States Senate
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-3201
DC Phone: 202-224-6542
DC Fax: 202-228-3027
Email Address: http://schumer.senate.gov/webform.html

Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand

United States Senate
478 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
DC Phone: 202-224-4451
Website: http://gillibrand.senate.gov/

State Senator Tom O'Mara -- Chemung, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, and Yates, and eastern Allegany County (towns of Alfred, Almond, Amity, Andover, Birdsall, Burns, Grove, Independence, Scio, Ward, Wellsville, and Willing).

Room 706, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2091
Fax: (518) 426-6976
www.omara.nysenate.gov

Assemblyman Phil Palmesano-- All of Schuyler and Yates, majority of Steuben, and portions of Chemung and Seneca counties.

Room 448, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
Phone: (518) 455-5791
Fax: (518) 455-4644
Website: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Philip-A-Palmesano/