The Peru Gazette

Assemblyman Jones News Release

The State Budget passed last night that included several victories for economic development, older adults, recreation, agriculture, veterans, education, and local governments. This includes $1.7 million increase in library aid, $21.4 million for teacher resource centers, a $1.4 billion increase to foundation aid for local school districts, $2.5 billion in capital funding and an additional $8 million in operational funding for SUNY campuses, $8 billion to eliminate the state’s unemployment insurance debt, $90 million for workforce development, $500 million for financially distressed hospitals, $30 million in additional funding for nursing home rates, $55 million for Nourish NY, $58 million for the Hunger Nutrition Assistance Program, $400 million in additional funding for child care subsidy enrollment, and an additional $100 million for CHIPS funding to improve local roads and highways.

            Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) is relieved that the budget includes funding to cover the state’s unemployment insurance debt. “It is about time that New York State addressed the unemployment insurance debt instead of making businesses across the state pay higher premiums,” Jones said. “It is great news that this relief was included in this year’s budget so that businesses can have relief from these unemployment bills. I have been pushing for the payoff of the unemployment insurance debt along with the North Country Chamber of Commerce, Business Council, and NFIB, because I know it will help businesses in the North Country and across the state deal with mandated higher cost and give them some relief to help with their bottom line. This is a major victory for our business community.

Additionally, the state budget includes tax cuts and inflation checks for working New Yorkers, and an expansion of the STAR property tax program. The state budget also allocated funding for the New York Opportunity Promise Scholarship program for free tuition to community colleges for degrees in manufacturing, cybersecurity, and nursing, and the Joseph P. Dwyer Peer-to-Peer Veterans Support Program, and free school meals for all.

Jones pushed for $3.5 million for the local tourism matching grants program in the budget, as well as $500 million for water infrastructure projects and $25 million for the volunteer fire department capital grant program. As chair of the Local Governments committee, Jones fought to include $758 in Aid and Incentives for Municipalities (AIM) funding, including an additional $50 million for temporary relief. To further support North Country residents, Jones also secured.

• $251,000 for the Maple Producers’ Association;
• $300,000 for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program;
• $200,000 for the Older Adult Technology Services that operates Senior Planet;
• $100,000 for Enlisted for Life veterans program;
• $225,000 for NAmTrans;
• $500,000 for Visitor Interpretive Centers at Paul Smith’s College and SUNY ESF;
• $250,000 for the Adirondack Mountain Club visitor center;
• $100,00 for the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA)

“While it was a frustrating process to get the final state budget passed, I am proud to have secured funding for important programs in the North Country,” said Jones. “Between funding for road infrastructure, childcare, water infrastructure, education, and economic development, this budget will be beneficial to the district in many ways.”

There were aspects of the budget that Jones did not support, including the closure of up to three correctional facilities this fiscal year. “I voted no for prison closures because that is not the solution to the problems with safety and staffing at our correctional facilities,” said Jones. “Overall, I was very disappointed that there was absolutely nothing included in the state budget to increase safety and staffing at correctional facilities. This is no way to support the hardworking men and woman who continue to work at these facilities and leaves them feeling abandoned by the state.”