1. Governor Hochul Announces Budget Agreement
On Thursday, the governor announced that an agreement has been reached on the state budget. After the announcement, Assembly Speaker Carl Hestie told reporters that a deal hadn’t been reached and the announcement was premature.
However, progress has been made on increasing school aid, expanding capital and operating funding for municipalities, providing additional support for safety-net hospitals, and investing further in childcare and pre-kindergarten services.
The Legislature also passed budget extenders to keep state government running through May 11th and ensure that Executive Branch members on the Administration payroll get paid on time. CSEA is continuing to work on our top priorities, such as reforms to Tier 5 and Tier 6 and stronger highway safety protection in the final budget.
2. Upcoming Elections
CSEA made a number of endorsements in the May 19th school elections and the June 23rdprimary elections, including Tom DiNapoli in his Democratic primary race. Visit our website to see the full list of endorsed school budgets and candidates who will fight for the public services we provide and our communities.
New York State has closed primaries, so you must be registered as a member of a party to vote in that party’s primary election. Please make sure to check your registration or register to vote by the June 13th deadline if you are planning to vote in the primaries.
Important Dates to Know:
- June 8 – Deadline to change your address for the primary
- June 13 – Last day to register to vote
- June 13–21 – Early voting period
- June 22 – Deadline to request a mail-in ballot
- June 23 – Primary Election Day (also the last day to submit mail-in ballots)
3. NY HELPS
The Department of Civil Service is requesting an extension of the NY HELPS program through June 30, 2028. Introduced in 2023 to address the workforce shortage in critical health and safety titles, the program streamlines the appointment process for state agencies and local governments to hire qualified permanent employees quickly without examinations. Currently, more than 4,000 titles are eligible.
5. Next week
The State Legislature is scheduled to meet Monday through Thursday next week. Another budget extender must pass by Tuesday to ensure state employees on the Institution payroll are paid on time.
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 our summary of the 2025 legislative session.
| Civil Service Victories: | K-12 Victories: | Health Care Victories: | |||
 |
|
 |
|||
| SUNY Victories: | Local Government Victories: | OPWDD & OMH Victories: | |||
|
|
|
|
|||
| Child Care Victories: | Work Zone Speed Cameras: | DMNA 25-Year Retirement: | |||
|
|
|
|