Press release from Assemblyman Steve Hawley:
“After a long, exhaustive budget process, we have finally come to the end of the road. I am pleased that we have increased funding to repair our roads, bridges and highways and provided resources for a slew of capital projects across upstate. Although they are not totally ideal, we have made changes to the Charitable Gaming laws which will help raffles and charity functions at thousands of churches, nonprofits and fire departments across the state.
“The restoration of library funding that was slated to be cut by the governor and securing a record high in education aid are major victories for us as well. We have also legalized ride-sharing services like Uber upstate and will provide adequate funding for the Western New York Veterans Home, which are crucial to our region.
“Despite these victories, New York City initiatives like Raise the Age, increased income taxes and SAFE Act funding, along with many political projects for downstate, have tainted our final budget. I will continue to fight against the siphoning of our resources to New York City in the months ahead and ensure we receive our fair share.”
