April 06, 2022
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N.Y. budget stalemate drags on as mental health, changes to Kendra's law latest sticking point - New York Daily News

ALBANY — New York’s protracted budget process dragged on Wednesday as Gov. Hochul and legislative leaders again failed to reach a deal on policy proposals and a spending plan for the Empire State.

Hope faded throughout the day that some of the less controversial spending measures would be presented as lawmakers waited on updates about negotiations from Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers).

Talks have centered around Hochul’s eleventh-hour push to include changes to the state’s bail laws in the budget and her plan to hand more than $600 million in incentives to the Buffalo Bills for a new stadium.

Many of the governor’s fellow Democrats have pushed back on the potential bail overhauls and other policies, including an expansion of Kendra’s Law, which allows courts to mandate mental health treatment.

Almost a week after blowing past the start of the new fiscal year on April 1, there were few signs of alignment on the issues even as agreements were reached on several portions of the state’s basic spending plan, which could exceed $220 billion. Some popular proposals, including the potential suspension of the state’s gas tax and legalizing to-go cocktails, remained on the table.

Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes (D-Buffalo) told The Associated Press she did not expect negotiations to go through another weekend.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul talks with reporters about the state budget at the state Capitol in Albany, New York on Monday, April 4, 2022.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul talks with reporters about the state budget at the state Capitol in Albany, New York on Monday, April 4, 2022.

Hochul’s proposed expansion to Kendra’s Law, which allows court-ordered mental health treatment, and other mental health-related changes were the main sticking points late Wednesday, according to sources.

The governor wants to expand the number of situations in which someone could be ordered into mental health treatment, and some lawmakers support making it easier to allow mental health professionals to seek longer involuntary hospital stays for people who might be a danger to themselves or others.

New York State Senate Majority Leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers)
New York State Senate Majority Leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) (Hans Pennink/AP)

Kendra’s Law is named for Kendra Webdale, a young writer shoved to her death in front of a subway train by a man with schizophrenia in 1999.

Advocates fear the potential expansion could be disastrous for New Yorkers struggling with mental health issues, and many believe there are better ways to address mental health and homelessness in the state.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) talks with reporters about the state budget at the state Capitol in Albany, New York on Monday, April 4, 2022.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) talks with reporters about the state budget at the state Capitol in Albany, New York on Monday, April 4, 2022.

The New York Association for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services and the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest warned earlier this week that the changes proposed by Hochul would grant judges “the power to have people taken to hospitals for assessment and possible involuntary admission to psychiatric wards in response to unadjudicated allegations and without due process protections.”



source: https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/new-york-elections-government/ny-budget-stalemate-mental-health-kendras-law-20220406-ftwmkvgsczeqzjofkgiyqtg2fe-story.html

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