Friend,

Over the past few weeks, my colleagues in the Senate and I have been working diligently to put together a State budget that reflects the needs of New Yorkers and addresses many of the issues we face daily. From to-go drinks that help local restaurants come back after the pandemic to criminal justice and bail reform, many issues were on the table, and we had some big wins and a few losses. Here’s a breakdown of the New York State budget and what it means for you!

The Wins:

The budget includes funding for several programs that will help our communities, such as $3.6 billion in funding for CUNY schools, expansion of TAP funding for our students, increased spending on environmental issues, and grants for climate-smart community initiatives. 

To-Go Drinks are now legal again, a win for our small businesses! This will allow restaurants to serve to-go cocktails that helped increase their sales during the pandemic. We also included tax cuts for small businesses on pandemic-related expenses.

The budget allocates additional funds for Universal PreK, establishes an AAPI State Commission to handle specific issues within the AAPI community, and in a first for the trans community; the budget allocates $1 million towards a transgender and gender non-conforming wellness and equity fund.

The Losses:

While all those things are great for our community, the budget falls short on many issues that I will double down on and continue to address in the legislature. As one of five legislators who voted “no” against the ELFA (Education, Labor, and Family Assistance bill, I found that it came up short on several issues that we care about. 

The pay increase for home healthcare workers is a measly $3 as opposed to the 50% raise the Fair Pay for Home Care Act would have included. ELFA also included many last-minute deals that will disproportionately affect struggling communities of color. 

Childcare expansion would have helped many parents get back to work, and the New York Health Act would have provided healthcare to millions of New Yorkers. Additionally, the rollbacks of bail reform are a misplaced reaction to rising crime and will perpetuate the criminalization of poverty, not make our streets any safer. We should be focused on providing services outlined in the Treatment Not Jails Act that aid in the rehabilitation and reform of those imprisoned. 

Our government should be investing in our communities and not giving billions of dollars away to billionaires to build football stadiums. As your state senator, I promise to double down on these programs that will positively help our communities. 

If you have any questions about the budget, do not hesitate to respond to this email and ask. It is a big-budget and we are still working on many initiatives within it.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to this community. The wins we secured in the budget would not have been possible without your support and this grassroots effort to make our community a stronger place for everyone.

In Solidarity,

Jessica Ramos