The Peru Gazette

From the office of Assemblyman Billy Jones

Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Plattsburgh) announced that he will fight for a state budget that addresses the needs and concerns of North Country families after listening to the governor’s budget address earlier today. The proposal includes critical funding for North Country schools, veterans and small businesses, as well as a plan to close more prisons and reform Medicaid.

“The governor’s budget proposal presents some clear concerns; his proposal to close more prisons across the state poses a safety threat to the hardworking men and women who work in these facilities. As a former correction officer, I know the serious impact this could have on the well-being of the employees and will do everything in my power to ensure our North Country prisons are not affected by this,” Jones said.

“The governor has also proposed making drastic changes to the Medicaid system,” noted Jones. “Let me be clear, while I strongly support the need to control the rising costs of these services, this cannot come at the cost of putting another unfunded mandate on our local governments. North Country families already have enough bills on their plate and shouldn’t be forced to bear even more of the state’s burden.”

Since 2015, the state has covered all increases in its counties’ share of Medicaid costs,[1] while local governments have continued to administer the programs. In his Budget address, the governor partially blamed the $6.1 billion budget deficit on the state’s Medicaid spending and indicated reviving the Medicaid Redesign Team to study ways to reduce costs and restructure the program.[2]

While the governor’s remarks indicated this will not come at a cost to local governments, it certainly put the future of this critical funding in question and raised concerns among state lawmakers, including Jones, who countered that cutting state Medicaid spending would unfairly push costs onto local taxpayers.[3]

Farms and small businesses are an essential part of what makes the North Country thrive which is why Jones was pleased that the governor’s proposal included language similar to a bill that Jones co-sponsored (A.6309), which would cut the corporate tax rate for small businesses and expand the small business exemption from 5% to 15% for farms and sole proprietors with a net income under $250,000. This will provide tax relief to help these community staples continue to grow and prosper, Jones noted. Additionally, the governor’s proposal included $29 million in funding for a variety of agricultural programs throughout New York which is paramount to supporting our farmers and the work they do. The proposal also includes language to expand the definition of family members, which is one step towards addressing the detrimental provisions of the farm labor law, Jones indicated.

“I will continue to be a strong advocate for Northern New York Agriculture programs and will work with my colleagues to ensure these programs are adequately funded and regulations are modified to help our farms succeed,” said Jones.

The governor’s proposal also included major changes to the education funding formula. “As a father, I remain committed to ensuring our children, and their teachers, have the necessary resources to help them grow and thrive,” said Jones. “I will investigate the governor’s proposal to ensure our schools get their fair share and that no changes have a harmful impact on North Country Schools.”

The governor also indicated his commitment to land based renewable energy programs. “While this may be encouraging, I am troubled by the indication that this will come at a cost with removing local control,” said Jones. “Our local officials and residents know what works best for their communities, and we must continue to give them the authority to make these decisions.”

In addition, the governor’s proposal includes funding for a state veterans cemetery, which is similar to a bill that Jones introduced last year to ensure proper funding for this important site (A.887). Jones will push for this proposal to be passed in the final state budget, adding that he’s hopeful the eventual site will be located in the North Country. Additionally the Governor mentioned the need for cellular service, but lacked mentioning how much money would be allocated for expansion of cellular service. As a member of the rural cellular task force, Jones remains committed to ensuring this issue is addressed and properly funded.