During a press gaggle earlier today, Speaker Carl Heastie said that he "[doesn't] think a lack of revenue is a major issue in budget negotiations." In response, IONY campaign manager Carolyn Martinez-Class, shared the following:
"Based on Speaker Heastie's comment that a lack of revenue is not a major issue in these budget negotiations, the Invest in Our NY campaign expects to see a final budget that reverses the Governor's cuts and deeply invests in education, childcare, health care, social safety net programs, and housing for the long term. This means, at minimum, $250 million for the Housing Access Voucher Program, $500 million for our childcare workforce, and billions for our healthcare system and public school districts. Anything short of that will represent a failure by lawmakers and will only exacerbate the racial wealth gap, forcing working-class New Yorkers to continue struggling to make ends meet.
"New York’s leaders must take seriously calls from their constituents, a majority of whom support raising taxes on the top 5% and the richest corporations, to hold the ultra-rich accountable and ensure they pay what they owe. We continue to demand a FY2025 budget that delivers for working-class New Yorkers."