Albany leaders, get the budget done

More than three weeks after the state budget's due date came and went, Gov. Kathy Hochul and state legislative leaders still haven't reached an agreement.

State lawmakers passed a sixth budget extender, allowing the government to continue to operate until Monday. There's some hope a deal could come next week. 

Late budgets are unfortunately nothing new; it hasn't been on time since 2019. If Albany negotiations result in carefully crafted policies that benefit taxpayers, a short delay can be worthwhile. But the longer it goes, the more shambolic the process. Instead of confronting the state's critical money issues — the heart of the budget — fights over policy proposals bog everything down. 

And that distracts state officials from other pressing needs, like addressing a possible LIRR strike.

On Hochul's signature auto insurance reform effort, agreement may be within reach. In response to a strong lobbying effort by trial lawyers, Hochul is likely to drop proposed changes to what's known as "joint and several" liability — the notion that when multiple parties are at fault, anyone could be required to pay all the actual damages regardless of their degree of culpability.

The change is unfortunate but the deadlock had to be broken. Now the goal for Hochul is to make sure the final reform package remains strong enough to lower auto insurance premiums significantly. When you promise during an election year that insurance premiums could fall within a year, you have to deliver.

Another reason for the delay is Hochul's realistic demand that green energy deadlines be extended. The goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, or CLCPA, must be kept, but meeting the ambitious timetable would be too costly. State leaders must maintain momentum on reducing our reliance on fossil fuels while putting affordability first.

A similar balance must be found in encouraging housing development and other construction. Hochul's proposed changes would streamline the state environmental review process while maintaining adequate attention to traffic, water and other real concerns. And the reforms must apply to a wide variety of developments and communities for any meaningful impact.

Controversial efforts to "fix" the pension system for recent public hires, meanwhile, should have as little a "fix" as possible so taxpayers aren't faced with even bigger property and school tax bills.

Hochul's effort to allow for a so-called pied-à-terre tax on some New York City second homes worth $5 million or more was quickly twisted by some lawmakers who suggested a wide expansion outside of the city — including on Long Island. Officials say Hochul isn't contemplating such a move. That's good; the economic ripple effects could be devastating here.

Such springtime political drama is nothing new. But it's time for the three people in the room — Hochul, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins — to come out of the room with a budget.