Response to Governor Cuomo’s New York State Executive Budget Proposal FY2020-2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, January 28th, 2020
On Tuesday, January 21, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed a $178.6 billion budget for New York State Fiscal Year 2020-2021. In the face of a $6 billion budget deficit, largely due to a Medicaid shortfall, Cuomo’s proposal for this upcoming budget contained reason for concern. The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) believes advocacy is needed in many areas in which the Governor’s proposal falls short in addressing the issues impacting our communities. CACF is apprehensive of the proposed New York State budget as members of our Asian Pacific American (APA) community, as well as other communities of color and immigrants may be left behind by the State once again. The APA community continues to be overlooked when public and private funding is being allocated. This means that the increase in the APA population of New York has been met with a decrease in financial resources and, hence, a decrease in much needed services. This budget does little to change that.
CACF urges Governor Cuomo’s office as well as the State Legislature this session to act in the interest of all New Yorkers, to not ignore the most marginalized communities and the organizations working to provide them with critically necessary services. This past year has seen a lack of investment in critical support services by the State, and we strongly believe that New Yorkers should not bear the responsibility of solving the hole in the budget created by the State. We have seen proactive steps taken by the State in the past to assist in higher enrollment rates for healthcare, but now is the time for the State to step up and commit to increasing revenue through the passing of progressive fiscal policies to ensure that wealthy individuals and corporations pay their fair share.
CACF does commend Governor Cuomo on some of the proposals found within his Executive Budget. For example, the 2021 Budget outlines the intention of the State to fill financial gaps left by the federal government in regards to reproductive health and mental health/addiction services. Each of these matters has a poignant effect on our communities, and ensuring necessary services are available to New Yorkers is appreciated and essential. That aside, however, CACF holds the concern that there is not a committed investment to the core needs of our communities. When it comes to healthcare, education, and social services, it appears Governor Cuomo has failed historically marginalized New Yorkers yet again. With a promise that he “will keep on fighting to make progress happen for all New Yorkers,” a glaring hole has been left inhibiting progress for all. CACF will continue our advocacy with NY State for better policies and funding for the APA community.
Health
Hidden among positive promises to reduce prescription costs and cap insulin copayments as well as the creation of of a Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT), is the fact that the MRT has no transparency and will likely result in Medicaid cuts of upwards of $2.5 billion. This is unfortunately representative of the continued attacks on health programs found throughout the Executive Budget. For instance, Governor Cuomo’s budget did not propose to restore any Article 6 health funding for NYC, which will continue to impact numerous critical public health-related initiatives targeting immigrants and other marginalized communities. CACF, alongside a myriad of other concerned community-based organizations, calls for a restoration of Article 6, rejection of Medicaid cuts, and a commitment to expand health coverage to all New Yorkers in order to meet the health needs of our most marginalized children and families.
Education
While Governor Cuomo proudly touts an increase in education funding, there are still concerns surrounding the actual impact on our children who need it most. The Executive Budget proposed a $826 million increase in funding. That’s less than the $1.1 billion the state had been projecting as recently as November. And groups representing teachers and school boards were seeking $2.1 billion, under a claim that it is owed to schools across the state following a 2006 state court decision in the case of Campaign for Fiscal Equity v State of New York. The Executive Budget recommends the consolidation of 10 expense-based aid categories not directly related to instruction, such as building aid, hardware and technology, and transportation (costs that school districts are reimbursed for based on the number of students in a district and a district’s overall wealth) into Foundation Aid starting in the 2020-21 school year. But there are concerns about the impact on school districts of consolidating several aid formulas in such a manner. It is especially worrisome because according to the State Education Department (SED) mere weeks before this announcement, New York State currently has yet to deliver $4 billion in Foundation Aid that is owed under state law to districts across the state. CACF has and will continue to support the Fair Funding Formula, which is designed to distribute funds equitably across schools.
Social Services
Human services organizations have spent years pushing for the state to boost its financial support, and since the State of the State a few weeks ago non-profits have been bracing for possible state cuts to social services. Governor Cuomo has essentially left funding for social service programs unchanged from prior years, ignoring calls for improved access for marginalized New Yorkers. Continued omission of funding for initiatives strongly backed by advocacy groups, such the Home Stability Support Program and senior affordable housing, shows an unwillingness to recognize services provided by non-profit organizations. CACF calls for the investment in those above as well as in the Settlement House Program, Adult Literacy and family literacy programs, and expansion of the State- funded portion of child welfare protective/preventive services.
