As New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s budget proposals come under scrutiny in Albany, discussions are heating up among state legislators. A notable point of contention is the proposed plan to send rebate checks to taxpayers, with leading lawmakers suggesting a shift in focus towards the senior demographic. According to Gothamist, instead of the broad-based relief initially envisioned by Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and her Democratic allies in the Senate are advocating for rebates that are “only go to New Yorkers over 63 years old.”
Senate proposals diverge sharply from Hochul’s original plan that would have seen $300 checks sent to individuals and $500 to families with less than $150,000 and $300,000 of income, respectively. Now, legislators are keen on targeting the aging population over a three-year period. “We’ve reprogrammed what the governor was proposing to do in a more targeted fashion that will matter to people,” state Sen. Liz Krueger told Gothamist. Despite the pushback, other parts of the legislature are intent on addressing aid for working families and small business unemployment insurance debts.
Another proposal that has met with mixed reactions is the governor’s bid to ban cellphone use in New York schools. While Gov. Hochul insists on a strict “bell to bell” prohibition, according to NY1, the State Senate favors allowing schools more flexibility in enforcing the ban. The Assembly, for its part, has not included any language about such a ban in its budget proposal, emphasizing the varied approaches lawmakers are open to considering…