STATEMENT: INVEST IN OUR NEW YORK CAMPAIGN RESPONDS TO ONE-HOUSE BUDGET PROPOSALS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: Wednesday, March 15, 2023 Contact: press@revenuecampaign.org

INVEST IN OUR NEW YORK CAMPAIGN RESPONDS TO ONE-HOUSE BUDGET PROPOSALS

In response to the Senate and Assembly releasing their one-house budget proposals, Carolyn Martinez-Class, Invest in Our New York (IONY) Campaign Manager, released the following statement on behalf of the Invest in Our New York Campaign: “The Invest in Our New York (IONY) Campaign commends the Senate and Assembly for pushing back on Governor Hochul’s billionaire budget by rejecting her regressive payroll tax expansion, SUNY and CUNY tuition increases, and MTA fare hikes. Despite the Governor’s fear-mongering, the Senate and Assembly have reaffirmed their commitment to raising public dollars by taxing New York’s wealthiest residents by proposing increased rates for those earning $5 million a year. We applaud Speaker Heastie, and the Assembly Democrats, for proposing that ultra-wealthy, historically profitable corporations pay what they owe our communities through a modest tax increase. If enacted, it will raise much-needed public money for the MTA and upstate public transit, now and for the long term. We urge the Senate and Governor to embrace this recommendation to fund public transportation across the state, not just in New York City and the surrounding suburbs. There is significant work to be done between now and April 1st to ensure critical state programs and services are fully funded, including childcare for immigrant families and financial support for childcare providers; raising the state-wide minimum wage and indexing it to inflation and worker productivity; unemployment insurance for freelancers, undocumented workers, and formerly incarcerated New Yorkers; protections for renters against arbitrary evictions; access to healthcare for all; and significant investments in addressing the climate crisis and the reliance on fossil fuel energy. We look forward to working with the legislature to secure a final budget that prioritizes working-class New Yorkers over billionaires and their special interests.”

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