1. National Work Zone Awareness Week
This week is National Work Zone Awareness Week. As budget negotiations continue, we need to remind lawmakers that protecting our highway workers must be a top priority. We are advocating for stronger measures to enhance work zone safety, including:
- Doubling the number of work zone speed cameras available to the State Department of Transportation and the Thruway Authority.
- Expanding the camera program to include the New York State Bridge Authority.
- Making the program permanent to ensure long-term safety enforcement.
- Increasing penalties for assaults against DMV and highway personnel to better protect the people who keep our roads safe.
Send a letter to your legislators urging them to include these critical safety measures in the final budget:
Stop Violence Against DMV Employees!
2. State Budget Update
The New York State Budget is now 25 days late. According to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, they are “close, very close.” Legislators returned to their districts after approving an eighth budget extender on Thursday, which runs through Tuesday of next week. They are expected to meet virtually this weekend continue working on a deal. They’ll need to either pass a final budget or another extender on Tuesday to cover state expenses, including pay for state employees.
3. Federal Budget Updates
Next week, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives will begin marking up their budget and reconciliation bills, which aim to cut $2 trillion in spending and provide $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. “Marking up” is when congressional committees review, amend and vote on proposed legislation, shaping what will eventually be debated on the House floor. The Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid and other critical health programs, aims to finish its markup by May 7. The committee is considering $880 billion in proposed cuts, most of which must come from cuts to the Medicaid program.
4. Federal Civil Service Protections
This week, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published a rule that would reclassify about 50,000 federal employees under a new “Schedule Policy/Career” designation. This new designation would make it easier for federal agencies to fire civil servants for political reasons, including for “refusing to advance the policy interests of the president.” President Trump created this new designation via executive order on April 18.
5. Next Week
The State Legislature will meet on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. They must pass either a budget or another extender by Tuesday, April 28.
6. CSEA Legislative Toolkit
We’re encouraging members to get the word out about our legislative successes. Click the icons below for informational documents that you can print, share, and post on social media to spread the news. You can also check out the summary of CSEA’s work during the 2023-2024 legislative session.
Tier 6 Reform: |
Updating Civil Service Exams: |
Counting Provisional Time Towards Promotions: |
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Virtual Training for CPS Workers: | Minimum Age & Education Requirements for Exams: |
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