With the migrant crisis slamming the city and increasingly the state, the Legislature needs to get back to Albany for special session.
No, Gov. Kathy Hochul hasn’t yet called for one: Legislative leaders publicly thumbs’-downed any return in recent weeks, and of course she well knows the risk that lawmakers will only make things worse.
But she warned recently that the influx cost the state $4.5 billion more than expected next year.
That’s on top of a $9 million gap already looming.
The Empire Center warns that the state’s migrant-adjusted red ink may grow to $15 billion.
And of course the city’s looking at its own $12 billion hit.
Plus, as six NYC Republican Assembly members note in their letter calling for a special, the MTA (a state agency, recall) has spent over $2.3 billion on services for migrants already — when its finances were already a wreck.
So, at the least, the gov and legislators should look at rescinding now-planned spending before it goes out the door.
If a program can’t be sustained in the coming budget crisis, maybe shut it down now.
Alternately, it may be wise to transfer funds to agencies suddenly on the front lines dealing with 100,000-plus migrants (and thousands more each week for the foreseeable future).
Maybe even get some more cash to New York City, the local epicenter of the crisis.
Or at least boost the gov’s ability to OK the use of state facilities in the city for shelters.
And maybe try to sort out the legal issues that have City Hall and several upstate counties fighting in court battles over relocating some migrants outside the five boroughs.
A Manhattan judge ordered that the cases transferred to the individual counties, rather than being resolved in a Big Apple courtroom.
Maybe a bipartisan law setting clearly-fair rules could avoid months of litigation and uncertainty?
Oh, and in this emergency, let’s minimize corruption and waste: Lawmakers should restore state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s pre-audit authority over state contracts valued over $1 million.
Last month, Hochul inked 5-year migrant-shelter deals totaling $1.6 billion with two Texas firms — including one company that gave $5,000 to her campaign committee.
Maybe that’s kosher — but several of her no-bid COVID contracts sure smelled.
And of course she’s assumed fresh emergency powers for the migrant crisis.
On the other hand, the gov has to keep the Legislature in line, too: She must stand firm in her opposition to progressives’ push for a costly state-funded health plan for 240,000-plus undocumented immigrants.
Of course, while they’re back, lawmakers could address some other urgent work, such as criminal-justice fixes, the statewide housing crisis and the fact that New York’s legal-cannabis rollout is going up in smoke.
As we’ve noted, these public servants have made themselves the nation’s highest-paid state lawmakers: $142,000 base pay, when they’re in session just half the year.
With greater rewards should come greater responsibility.
This is a crisis; get back to work: New York’s future is at stake.
