A Southern Tier lawmaker is sounding the alarm over what he calls a massive disconnect between New York’s promises and its policies, warning that the new $254 billion state budget ignores affordability concerns and advances costly climate mandates without clear financial planning.
In his latest weekly column, Senator Tom O’Mara criticized Albany Democrats for abandoning what he described as early-year pledges to address the state’s affordability crisis. “Five months down the road from January and if you didn’t know better, you’d think all that Albany Democrat concern about affordability just disappeared into thin air,” he wrote.
O’Mara pointed to the state’s $15 billion spending increase over the previous year, arguing it reflects seven straight years of unsustainable growth under one-party control in Albany. He compared it to more modest annual increases of 2–3% during a previous period when Republicans held a Senate majority.
Quoting state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, O’Mara highlighted warnings of a fragile fiscal outlook and a lack of serious cost-containment. DiNapoli cautioned that the budget includes “significant state-funded increases,” “authorizes an additional $23 billion in public authority backdoor borrowing,” and lacks “serious cost containment measures.”
O’Mara also targeted the state’s aggressive climate policies as a looming affordability threat. Chief among them is the mandate requiring all new school buses purchased after 2027 to be electric. “It is projected to be the most expensive unfunded state mandate to ever hit local school districts and property taxpayers,” he said.
While the new budget allows the state Education Department to grant up to four-year extensions for school districts unable to comply, O’Mara said that’s not enough. He and Assemblyman Phil Palmesano have introduced legislation to delay the mandate and require a full cost-benefit analysis.
O’Mara also warned of several other state energy mandates on the horizon, including bans on natural gas in new buildings by 2025, restrictions on gas appliances by 2035, and a requirement that all new vehicle sales be electric by 2035. He argued these measures could strain the energy grid and burden ratepayers without proper planning.
“Our warnings have focused on whether, under current timelines, Albany’s climate agenda is responsible or rational,” he wrote. “We believe it unreasonably risks energy grid reliability and affordability.”
Citing the Empire Center, O’Mara said the total cost of implementing the state’s climate policies could exceed $1 trillion by 2050. He urged fellow lawmakers not to let affordability concerns “fly under the radar” as the legislative session enters its final weeks.
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