Over the past three years, Governor Cuomo and the Legislature have done much to put New York state on better fiscal footing, reduce the structural budget imbalance and hold the line on spending. With today’s budget proposal, Governor Cuomo has provided a good starting point to continue the progress made.

Still, there is much work to be done. The challenge for the state is to align spending with revenue while still meeting the critical needs of New Yorkers and local communities. Funding for these initiatives is contingent on the strength of the economy and federal assistance.

Governor Cuomo’s call for comprehensive campaign finance reform and public financing of campaigns is welcome. New York needs to reform its campaign finance system from top-to-bottom and strengthen efforts to fully enforce the laws. We need to tip the scales of influence away from the few and put it back into the hands of ordinary citizens.

In the coming weeks, my office will thoroughly review the Executive Budget and the impact on out-years and provide a detailed analysis.