Four years of on-time budgets is an accomplishment Governor Andrew Cuomo loves to mention, but this year could be different. Cuomo is pushing lawmakers to adopt stringent ethics legislation as part of the budget agreement. If they don't reach a deal by the April 1 deadline, a government shutdown is possible. Read More
Governor Andrew Cuomo's projection of future "surpluses" rests on the expectation that he "will propose, and negotiate with the Legislature to enact, Budgets that hold State Operating Funds spending growth to 2 percent." But is the governor really living under his own cap? A budget analysis by the state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office suggests, persuasively, that he isn't. Read More
Legislative testimony recommends permanently enacting property tax cap, among other reforms. Read More
Changes made last year to the Corporation Franchise Tax and Estate Tax codes will help make New York a more attractive and competitive place to live, work and do business. However, there remains much to do. Read More
Governor Andrew Cuomo eliminated funding of new "member item" spending when he took office four years ago—but the Ghost of Pork Barrels Past continues to haunt the state's finances. Each of Cuomo's first four Executive Budget proposals projected the depletion and elimination of what's technically known as the "Community Projects Fund - 007" -- but every year, the enacted budget has restored the money to back up reappropriations of the member item lump sum. Read More
The Empire Center’s Explore Your State Budget app has been updated to reflect financial data in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed 2015-16 Executive Budget. Read More
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Wednesday sought to appeal to everyone from left-leaning New Yorkers to upstate small businesses. But in the end, he proposed a 2015 state budget that divided many groups and enraged organized labor as he presented a mix of new ideas and familiar plans that have died for years in Albany. Read More
After Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver found himself facing a federal judge on corruption charges the topic at the capitol has been anything but policy. Read More