Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther: Enacted 2024-2025 State Budget Empowers Our Communities
“The recently enacted 2024-2025 state budget is a testament to our commitment to uplift and
strengthen our communities. It delivers impactful investments across education, healthcare, and safety
measures to ensure the well-being of all New Yorkers.
“Throughout the budget process, collaboration played a pivotal role in advancing provisions
crucial for New York’s stability and growth. By securing funding for local initiatives, projects, and
nonprofits, we’re driving positive change that uplifts all of us.
“In healthcare, my focus as Chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Mental Health is on advancing
a comprehensive approach that prioritizes holistic care. We’ve taken significant steps, including boosting
Medicaid reimbursement rates and allocating additional funding to support the Medicaid program.
Moreover, we’ve raised the minimum wage for home care workers and expanded mental health services
for children in schools. On a more local level, vital funding has been secured for organizations directly
impacting our community, like Samaritan Daytop Village and Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan, and
Ulster Counties.
“In education, we’ve made historic investments to provide young New Yorkers with the tools they
need to succeed. By resisting threats to Foundation Aid, I am proud to say that we’ve secured $682.9
million for schools in my district alone, marking an $18 million increase from the previous year. While I
am glad that the Assembly and Senate were able to reject the proposed education cuts, I believe increasing education funding in the future is of paramount importance for incentivizing people to stay and raise a family in New York State.
“Safeguarding our environment is of upmost importance, and thankfully, this budget underscores
our dedication to preserving and improving what we have for current and future generations. The 2024-25 enacted budget allocates $500 million towards ensuring clean water and an additional $400 million into the Environmental Protection Fund, which addresses a range of environmental concerns. Furthermore, we deepened our commitment to promoting breathable air by holding major polluters accountable with revenue from permitting fees reinvested directly into our communities to foster cleaner air initiatives.
“This budget also tackles the pressing issue of retail theft by implementing a commercial security
tax credit, which will provide reimbursement for security expenses incurred by our small businesses.
Additionally, we aim to bolster the protection of retail workers by enhancing penalties for assaults against
them.
“These investments ensure our communities have a robust foundation of supports that are needed
to strengthen our families now and in the future.”