Niagara Leader

State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt, along with fellow senators Andrew Lanza, Thomas O'Mara, Pam Helming, and Bill Weber, have called on Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to consider key budget priorities as the New York State Legislature prepares for upcoming votes on the One-House Budgets. These priorities are part of the Senate Republican Conference's "Liberate New York" policy agenda.

With negotiations for the FY 2026 State Budget approaching, the Republican leaders emphasize economic, public safety, and quality-of-life proposals aimed at benefiting New Yorkers. "For far too long our state government has been failing the people of New York State," stated Ortt. He advocates for a fiscally responsible budget that addresses taxes and spending.

Senator Lanza criticized current policies as "irrational leftist" and emphasized the need for governance that supports lower taxes and safer communities. Senator O'Mara echoed these sentiments, calling for a focus on affordability and fiscal responsibility.

Senator Helming highlighted the exodus of residents seeking better opportunities elsewhere. She urged a reset in priorities to retain businesses and residents by reducing mandates and enacting tax relief. Senator Weber pointed out that New York spends significantly more than other states like Florida and Texas combined. He stressed the importance of fiscal responsibility in budgeting.

The conference's key priorities include providing child care incentives, tax relief for residents and small businesses, repealing green energy mandates, cutting housing costs, investing in infrastructure responsibly, prioritizing victims over criminals in public safety policies, improving healthcare access, addressing substance use issues, supporting veterans and military families, ending New York's migrant crisis by changing sanctuary status laws, protecting students from violence including antisemitism, defending parental rights in education decisions, expanding mental health services in schools, hiring school resource officers more widely, ensuring juvenile offenders' reentry notifications to schools are made promptly, enacting voter ID laws statewide for elections and setting term limits for politicians.

A full letter detailing these requests has been sent to Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins.