Originally Published in the LI Herald on July 10

The 2026 legislative session may be over, but the problems Albany left unresolved are still staring New Yorkers in the face.

This year the Legislature made history for all the wrong reasons. Families needed real relief from rising costs, a stronger focus on public safety and a government that understands how expensive it is to live and work in this state. Instead, Albany delivered the latest budget in 16 years, the largest spending plan ever and another clear sign that one-party control is failing the people who are paying the bills.

Every legislative session reveals what Albany truly values. With families across New York struggling with rising expenses, public safety concerns and a state that continues to become less affordable, they deserve a Legislature focused on the issues affecting their daily lives. Instead, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the legislative majorities used another year of one-party control to advance the same misplaced priorities that have made it harder for families, seniors and small businesses to stay in New York.

The clearest example was the state budget. Despite one-party control of the Senate, Assembly and governor’s mansion, a budget deal wasn’t reached until 57 days after the April 1 deadline. After all that extra time, New Yorkers still didn’t get a clear accounting of what they were being asked to fund. Last year’s budget totaled $254 billion, and this year it’s $277 billion. That isn’t fiscal discipline, nor is it transparency. Rather, it is record-breaking spending, while New Yorkers are still waiting for the relief Albany promised.

Instead of strengthening the state’s Medicaid program and ensuring that every dollar is being used for its intended purpose, to help New Yorkers in need, the state continues to simply throw more money at the $124 billion program. Medicaid is a lifeline for seniors, people with disabilities and families who really need care. That is precisely why it must be safeguarded from fraud, waste and abuse. I have repeatedly called for a comprehensive audit so taxpayers know where the money is going and resources are preserved for those who depend on them. A program this large shouldn’t run on autopilot.

 

At the same time, Albany apparently had less money for the volunteer firefighters who answer the call in our communities every day. The V-FIRE program helps departments invest in equipment, facility upgrades and lifesaving infrastructure. Yet this year’s budget reduced that program by $5 million, even as departments across Long Island face rising costs and growing emergency-response needs. The very least Albany can do is make sure these volunteers have the funding they need. That’s why I’m cosponsoring bipartisan legislation to help ensure that fire departments receive their fair share of V-FIRE funding.

This same mismatch between Albany’s and New Yorkers’ priorities continued beyond the budget. While residents were asking for relief, the legislative majorities advanced a proposal to replace words like “mother” and “father” in sections of state law with terms such as “gestating parent” and “non-gestating parent.” My four children call me “Mom” every day. That word has meaning in my home, as it does for mothers and fathers across the state. Why does Albany keep finding time for symbolic language changes while families are still waiting for action on the issues that truly affect their lives?

The same problem surfaced in redistricting. In 2014, New Yorkers voted for the Independent Redistricting Commission because they wanted a fairer, more transparent process. In 2021, they rejected changes that would have weakened it. This year, Albany Democrats went right back at it, advancing another constitutional amendment that would make it easier to redraw maps in the middle of the decade and give the Legislature more control when the commission doesn’t produce the maps it wants.

Voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around. This is a clear attempt by politicians to consolidate power, and it’s all the more insulting to New Yorkers that in the waning days of the 2026 legislative session, the majorities’ focus was on solving their own political problems rather than New Yorkers’ financial struggles.

Residents expect a budget that respects taxpayers, policies that make communities safer, and a Legislature focused on the problems that families are actually facing. I will keep fighting for a safer, more affordable New York, and for a state government that finally puts New Yorkers’ priorities first.

Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick represents the 9th State Senate District.