Lawmakers have finally completed work on New York’s state budget after one of the longest delays in recent history, but a local official remains critical of how the process unfolded.
Speaking on FLX Morning Monday, State Assemblyman Brian Manktelow said the spending plan was finalized last week after months of negotiations.
“It’s unbelievable. The second longest one in, I think, state history,” Manktelow said. “As far as running over overtime, we finished it up last Wednesday night, I believe it was to finalize the state budget.”
With the budget now in place, Manktelow said lawmakers are turning their attention to the final days of the legislative session, where hundreds of bills are expected to move through the Assembly before adjournment.
Manktelow, a member of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, criticized the Legislature’s practice of handling a large volume of legislation during the final week of session.
“We could do a lot of these bills prior to the end of the year, but they hold these bills to keep people here,” Manktelow said.
He also expressed concerns about the timeline lawmakers were given to review the final budget legislation before voting on it.
“When we finally finalized the budget, we had a chance, we didn’t have that budget bill for three hours, and we had to vote on it,” Manktelow said. “First time we got to see the final budget bill, and that’s really no way of doing the work here.”
Manktelow said staff members play a critical role in helping lawmakers analyze legislation and identify key provisions before votes are taken.
The Assemblyman said he is hoping two local bills from his district will advance before the session concludes, including legislation involving the Macedon Center Fire Department.
The legislative session is scheduled to conclude later this month. Manktelow, who is not seeking another term, said he remains committed to serving constituents through the end of the year.
“I will be 100% committed until that very last day, that very last minute,” he said.
