BY Jack Arpey

New York state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said Wednesday after meeting with Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins that leaders are getting closer to a state budget deal, but no handshake just yet.

“We’re still talking, things are moving,” he said. “It’s not done.”

With multiple policy issues coming in for a landing but still unresolved, lawmakers have still not reached a conclusion on how — if at all — to deal with the wearing of face masks in the commission of a crime.

“We haven’t resolved that,” Heastie said. “We want to try to get somewhere but that hasn’t been fleshed out yet.”

Members of the state Senate Wednesday had still not been briefed on an alternative, which would water down Hochul’s proposal for a separate crime of “masked harassment” in favor of a “penalty enhancer” to be considered during sentencing.

Also not fleshed out is how much the state plans to spend, how exactly they’ll fund it, and if it will be more than the $252 billion proposed by the governor.

“Probably,” Heastie said.

Both houses proposed spending even more than Hochul.

Deputy Senate Majority Leader Mike Gianaris said the hope is still to wrap up and vote on the budget next week, but the timeline may be sliding slightly from Tuesday when some lawmakers hoped to begin voting over the weekend.

“We’re scheduled to be here Monday through Wednesday regardless, if we can do it by then great, if we have to kick it over a day or two that’s fine too,” he said. “The point is we’re getting close.”

Close perhaps, but there still appears to be limited serious discussion of fiscal issues, though staff level conversations have been ongoing.

Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi on Wednesday expressed frustration that more ground has not been covered on the crisis facing New York’s Child Care Assistance Program.

“There have been preliminary discussions on child care and other issues, and the only preliminary feedback I’ve been able to get so far is that it’s going well,” he said.

The Child Care Assistance Program is the primary way the state provides families with child care subsidies is in trouble, and there is hope that the state budget will provide a lifeline.

At an event with providers and stakeholders, Dede Hill, director of policy at the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, explained that widespread reports that funding in New York City is drying up — meaning families could be turned away — have overshadowed a dire situation elsewhere in the state.

“Eleven upsate counties have closed enrollment and have begun turning away families, that’s happening right now,” she said.

Pete Nabozny, director of policy at the Children’s Agenda, stressed that the problem is getting worse.

“One of the narratives we want to end is that this is just a New York City problem,” he said. “We hear every day there are more and more that are coming to this decision that they have to close enrollment too.”

State Sen. Jabari Brisport said that while no final decision has been reached on funding voucher program, it is on the radar of legislative leaders.

“My sensibility is that all three parties agree that something needs to be done, but in terms of the amount that hasn’t been decided because, again, fiscal conversations really haven’t been happening,” he said.

He reported that the same goes for a $500 million senate proposal for workforce development fund.

“My sense is that is still on the table and has not been dismissed by any of the three parties,” he said.

Original article here: https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-of-politics/new-york/politics/2025/04/23/child-care-advocates-sound-alarm-