Meet the Big Ugly: What's in the NY state budget as of today

It's a month late, and nearly everyone is unhappy with it [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] Meet the Big Ugly: The NY state budget bill has free buses, a cannabis crackdown and more! [By Jon Campbell]( [a legal weed protester holds up a "FinishTheFight" sign] Ron Adar New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and state legislative leaders finally locked down the last bits of language for the $229 billion state budget late Monday, [a full month after it was due](. Lawmakers introduced a bill at around 8 p.m. that took many of the budget’s most contentious measures — including further changes to the state’s bail laws and a small expansion of charter schools — and [put them in a single, 174-page budget bill](. The practice has long been commonplace in Albany, much to the chagrin of government transparency advocates. It even has a name within the walls of the state Capitol: The Big Ugly. This year’s Big Ugly has dozens of measures that otherwise have little to do with each other, including: • [A pilot program for free buses]( in New York City, with one route in each borough — selected by the MTA — set to be fare free within 150 days. • A measure clearing the way for the State University of New York and City University of New York systems to raise tuition — but only for out-of-state students. • A Hochul-sought change to the state’s 2019 cash bail laws. It’ll make clear judges have discretion to set cash bail in violent felony and misdemeanor cases. • A [major crackdown on illicit cannabis stores]( that have popped up throughout New York City and the state, making it easier for state authorities to make a tax seizure and impose major fines. • The [addition of 14 charter schools]( in New York City, by re-assigning charters that have since gone dormant or never opened in the first place. • A three-year minimum wage hike, gradually increasing to $17 an hour in 2026 in the city, Long Island and Westchester and $16 in the rest of the state. Then future increases will be tied to inflation. The introduction of the Big Ugly marked the first time the public got a look at the exact details of the previously tentative state budget deal, which [Hochul announced last week](. [Hardly anyone seemed entirely happy]( with the final result of the broad spending plan, which mixes in far-reaching policies that have little to do with the state’s finances. While Hochul had to [pull back her plan]( to add 800,000 new housing units after meeting a blockade of opposition from officials in the [New York City suburbs]( progressives are feeling stung by the exclusion of protections for renters and higher taxes on the rich, as well as the bail-law retreat and a minimum-wage hike they say doesn’t go far enough. Some lawmakers were also frustrated by the negotiating process itself, a months-long slog that led to questions about whether New York’s government is returning to a state of dysfunction. Once fully approved, this year’s state budget will be the latest since 2010. Voting on the sprawling legislation is expected to continue into Tuesday and possibly Wednesday. [Read more about what's in the final state budget here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- More political headlines: [a close-up of Anna Kaplan] [Former Democratic state senator files to run against Rep. George Santos]( Anna Kaplan, who lost her Nassau County state senate seat to a Republican last year, is the fourth person to signal their intention to run against Santos in 2024. [a cabin in Leadville, Colorado] [Hochul cuts ties with adviser after troubling behavior reported]( Adam Sullivan, a powerful yet largely unknown consultant who advised Gov. Hochul from his home in Colorado, abruptly resigned after being the subject of a New York Times exposé. [a film crew in SoHo] [NY boosts film subsidy, covering portions of actor salaries]( Gov. Hochul and state lawmakers agreed to a $700 million film and TV subsidy — a 66% increase from last year's tax break for the industry — citing increased competition from other states. [Mayor Eric Adams talking to Gov. Greg Abbott] [Mayor Adams says more migrant buses headed to NY courtesy of Texas]( Months after buses of asylum seekers stopped arriving in New York, Mayor Eric Adams on Monday accused Texas Gov. Greg Abbott of resuming the practice and "using this crisis to hurt Black-run cities." --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- [the logo for the New Yorker Radio Hour] [The fall of Tucker Carlson, and the making of Candace Owens]( New Yorker staff writers chronicle two big stories in the world of conservative media: the ouster of Fox News’ leading man, and the rise as a culture-war influencer. [LISTEN]( Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. 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