Hi John,

The New York State budget deadline came and went over the weekend, with no progress on negotiations. What we’re hearing is that very few decisions have been reached — which means everything is still on the table.

Yesterday Legislators passed an extension until April 10. And until the budget is done, we need to keep up the drumbeat on education. Nothing is done until there’s a vote. We need to make sure we continue to make our voices heard, every day, so the critical issues at stake for New York’s children and communities stay at the top of the budget priorities. Make a call to State leaders now.

Here are the issues we are keeping a close eye on in the ongoing budget negotiations:

Pay child care workers: The state needs to invest $1 billion to raise wages for child care workers, and $60 million to ensure all children are included regardless of their immigration status.
Don’t raise the charter school cap: New York should not raise the regional cap on charter schools, and not reauthorize "zombie charters" that have failed and closed.
Expand pre-K funding: New York needs to increase reimbursement rates for schools that have had pre-K for a while.
Tax the rich: We need to generate revenue and support the needs of all New Yorkers with a tax on millionaires.

Tune in every day this week at 4 pm to AQE’s social media channels for real-time updates on where things stand on each of these key areas.

The State budget is an opportunity to make real change for our families, children, and communities. As negotiations continue throughout the week, we must continue to urge lawmakers to prioritize the needs of our children and families over the interests of billionaires.

Make a call to Governor Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Speaker Carl Heastie now to tell them to protect children, not billionaires in the budget. Take action now!

In solidarity,

Jasmine Gripper