The 2008-09 budget spends hundreds of millions of dollars less than former Governor Spitzer proposed in January. The Senate insisted on $800 million in across-the-board spending cuts to the State bureaucracy, as well as additions to the State’s reserve funds.

The Senate also stopped hundreds of millions of dollars in tax hikes proposed in the Executive Budget including proposed increases in the gas tax, as well as a car tax and new taxes on family health care policies. The Senate fought to reject any increases in broad based taxes, and was successful in stopping an Assembly plan to raise income taxes that would have added to what is already one of the highest tax burdens in the nation. The Senate also fought to maintain more than $5 billion in property tax relief.

Highlights of the 2008-09 State budget include:

The Senate passed a resolution authorizing the investment of more than $217.9 million in State capital funds for 97 economic development and job creation projects across the State. The funds are part of more than $1.2 billion set aside for capital economic development investments as part of the 2008-09 State budget.

The budget includes a record increase of $1.8 billion in school aid that will ensure important state resources are distributed fairly and equitably to every school district. Total State aid to education will total more than $21 billion.

In addition to school aid, the budget rejected a plan to shift $46 million in additional costs to school districts, a mandate that would have added to the local property tax burden.

ENVIRONMENT AND PARKS

The Environmental Protection Fund receives an historic level of funding of $255 million in the 2008-09 State budget. The EPF provides $450,000 for the Breast Cancer Environmental Risk Factor Program; $1 million for the Hudson River Park; an additional $1 million for the Pollution Prevention Institute; $2 million for solar energy initiatives and $1 million for water projects on Long Island.

The Budget also includes $95 million in new funding for various New York State Parks capital projects, as well as funds for improvements at the Department of Environmental Conservation facilities and the State Fair.

The 2008-09 budget restores $245 million in health care funds, including $168.9 million to hospitals, nursing homes, and home care, to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to quality, affordable health care in their communities.

The Senate also fought to restore $35.9 for hospital inpatient services and implemented a proposal that would -- over the course of a four year period -- shift Medicaid dollars from hospital inpatient services to more cost-effective outpatient settings.

The 2008-09 State budget restores $85 million in state funds for nursing homes and includes $15 million for nursing home recruitment and retention programs, that were cut in the Executive Budget.

In addition, the budget restores $25 million in cuts to home care and provided $8 million for the rural home care program. In addition, the State budget:

> Rejects the HMO premium tax proposed in the Executive Budget;

> Invests $56 million into outpatient and ambulatory care;

> Makes restorations to the Early Intervention Cost of Living Adjustment;

> Includes $34.2 million for public health initiatives; and

> Expands the State’s Children’s Health Insurance Program from 250% to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level, ensuring all uninsured children have access to quality, affordable care.

The budget restores $15.4 million to maintain the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) at current levels, restores $15 million to the SUNY Community College Base aid reduction, and provides $28.6 million above the Executive Budget for SUNY operating aid.

The Budget also includes more than $1 billion for new capital investments for our public colleges and universities -- as well as investments in businesses to create jobs across the State -- especially in Upstate New York where they are critically needed.

The budget ensures local governments receive more State funding than they did last year, even in these challenging economic times, by rejecting a plan to force counties to pick up $83 million in new costs. The Budget increases AIM funding (outside of NYC) by $72 million or 10 percent to help relieve the financial pressure on municipalities.

The Budget reforms the Wick’s Law by raising school district and municipal construction projects thresholds to $500,000 in Upstate communities, $1.5 million in Westchester County and Long Island, and $3 million in New York City. This is the first change in the Wick’s Law since the 1970s.

The budget restores $10.7 million for the full and continued operations of Camp Pharsalia in Chenango County ($1.8 million), the Camp at Mount McGregor located in Saratoga County ($1.1 million), Camp Gabriels in Franklin County ($2.8 million) and the Hudson Correctional Facility, a medium security facility in Columbia County ($5 million).

In addition, the Senate fought to reject the proposal in the Executive Budget that would have removed 92 State Troopers from more than 100 school districts across New York State.

The State budget provides for an additional $60 million in CHIPS capital funding over the Executive level and $51 million over the SFY 2007-08 level. The total SFY 2008-09 CHIPS funding is $363 million. The budget also provides $39.7 million in Marchiselli funding for roads and bridges.

The agriculture portion of the 2008-09 budget includes important funding for the New York Farm Viability Institute, Center for Dairy Excellence, Cornell Quality Milk Production Services, the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, New York State Apple Growers and Maple Associations, along with Taste New York.