Download PDF: COPA update April 4 2017
The Governor, Senate and the Assembly were unable to come to an agreement on the 2017-2018 New York State Budget, which was due April 1st. As a result, the Governor sent the Legislature bills to extend the budget through May 31st when we should see the federal budget. The Senate passed the budget extender bills this afternoon and the Assembly just finished passing the bills. The vote left many legislators without a choice as state workers would go without pay if the bill did not pass into law today. Attached is the Governor’s press statement on the budget extender.
As the Governor said last Tuesday, one of the areas that they all agreed to was that low wage staff in OPWDD programs should have an increase. The Governor announced that the #bFair2DirectCare funding would be in the budget or he would not sign it. True to his word, the budget extender that he sent down and the Senate and Assembly passed today includes the 3.25% increase (see attached language) for all low wage (100 & 200 CFR code) workers beginning 1-1-18 and another 3.25% increase for all low wage (100 & 200 CFR code) and for clinicians (300 code on the CFR) beginning 4-1-18. The funding is not in the budget extender as the extender only goes to May 31, 2017.
There are a number of outstanding issues that the Legislature and the Governor continue to negotiate. These include:
- Addressing the treatment of juvenile offenders(raise the age);
- Workers Compensation Reform ;
- Extension of the Millionaires Tax;
- Ride sharing Authorization(Uber, Lyft);
- 421-A Housing Tax Credit;
- Expanded oversight of economic development programs;
- Assistance to Critical Access Hospitals;
- College Tuition Assistance ;
- Capital Assistance to Health Care Facilities;
- Aid to Charter Schools; and
- Education Aid.
Only about one quarter of the state’s annual funding is included in the budget extender and is as follows:
- $10.3 billion for State Operations
- $12.4 billion for Aid to Localities
- $17.3 billion for Capital Projects
- $50 million for Legislature
- $550 million for Judiciary
None of the other COPA priorities were included in the budget extenders. This could provide an opportunity for continued advocacy on these issues.
We will keep you updated at negotiations continue. Please contact your COPA team with any questions.
Barbara, Wini & JR
Barbara Crosier
Vice President, Government Relations
Cerebral Palsy Associations of NYS
3 Cedar Street Extension, Suite 2
Cohoes, NY 12047
Phone: (518) 436-0178, Ext. 104
Cell: (518) 424-3198
Fax: (518) 436-8619
E-mail: bcrosier@cpofnys.org
Winifred Schiff
Associate Executive Director for Legislative Affairs
InterAgency Council of Developmental Disabilities Agencies, Inc.
150 West 30th Street 15th floor
New York, NY 10001
Office – 212-645-6360
Cell – 917-750-1497
E-mail: wini@iacny.org
John R Drexelius, Jr.
Government Relations Counsel,
DDAWNY
Law Office of John R. Drexelius, Jr.
PO Box 141
Buffalo, NY 14223
(716) 316- 7552
Fax: 716-875-7552
E-mail: jrdrexelius@gmail.com