Senator Baskin Secures Major Victories for District 63 in State Budget

Senator April Baskin

After months of negotiations, Senator April N.M. Baskin has delivered major investments through the New York State 2026-2027 Budget that will support low income and working class families across the 63rd District. The budget includes affordability reforms, investments in housing and education, support for food access and workforce development, and funding for community organizations that work every day to serve marginalized residents.

“At a time when too many New Yorkers are struggling with rising costs, housing instability, food insecurity, and unequal access to opportunity, I’m proud to have fought for investments that will strengthen our communities and help address long-standing inequities across Buffalo, Cheektowaga, Lackawanna, and communities throughout New York State,” Senator Baskin said.

AUTO INSURANCE REFORM

Senator Baskin led the fight for long-overdue auto insurance reforms that prohibit insurers from using discriminatory factors like ZIP code, education level, employment, and homeowner ship status to determine rates. For years, these practices unfairly targeted Black and brown communities and forced working families to pay more based on factors that have nothing to do with a person’s ability to drive safely. This reform is an important step toward making auto insurance more afford able for New York residents and ending a modern form of redlining.

HOUSING, NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION AND FOOD ACCESS

This budget makes major investments in housing and neighbor hood revitalization, including $40 million to rehabilitate vacant apartments for low- and moderate-income renters, $30 million to build afford able homes on vacant lots, and reforms to the state’s outdated environmental review process to speed up the construction of affordable hous ing. These policies will help address Buffalo’s housing challenges and bring much-needed sup port for neighborhoods that have experienced decades of disinvestment.

More than a decade after it was introduced, Senator Baskin secured $500,000 to fund a pilot of the FRESH Communities Act in Buffalo, which will help local grocery stores expand access to healthy, fresh foods in underserved neighbor hoods. Additionally, she secured $24 million for FeedMore Western New York, funds that will com bat the rapid increase in food insecurity among Western New York residents.

LOCAL AID

Senator Baskin secured an increase in school aid to Buffalo, Cheektowaga, and Lackawanna schools, totaling $1.24 billion, plus $1.2 million for Buffalo Public Schools’ school health services.

The budget includes $231 million for the City of Buffalo, including an additional $65 million in aid to help the city man age its financial deficits. The Town of Cheektowaga will receive $993,179 in state aid and $258,040 is earmarked for the Village of Depew. The City of Lackawanna will receive $8.5 million, including $2.2 million in additional aid. These funds will help stabilize local budgets by reducing the reliance on property tax increases to meet financial needs.

WORKER, VETERAN, AND IMMIGRANT PROTECTIONS

The budget also includes reforms to Tier 6 retirement benefits for public workers, including reducing employee pension contribution rates, allowing our teachers to retire earlier, and increasing the pension overtime cap. To support under served business owners, the budget increases funding for the MWBE Business Development and Lending program, for a total of $885,000.

The budget also includes major investments to support our veterans, including $6.65 million for veterans community service organizations statewide and $500,000 for the African American Veterans Monument Committee of Western New York. In addition, the budget allows local governments to offer full property tax ga will receive $993,179 in state aid and $258,040 is earmarked for the Village of Depew. The City of Lackawanna will receive $8.5 million, including $2.2 million in additional aid. These funds will help stabilize local budgets by reducing the reliance on property tax increases to meet financial needs

WORKER, VETERAN, AND IMMIGRANT PROTECTIONS

The budget also includes reforms to Tier 6 retirement benefits for public workers, including reducing employee pension contribution rates, allowing our teachers to retire earlier, and increasing the pension overtime cap. To support under served business owners, the budget increases funding for the MWBE Business Development and Lending program, for a total of $885,000.

The budget also includes major invest ments to support our veterans, including $6.65 million for veter ans community service organizations statewide and $500,000 for the Afri can American Veterans Monument Committee of Western New York. In addition, the budget allows local governments to offer full property tax exemptions for disabled veterans, helping ease the financial burden on those who have sacrificed for our country.

Significant protections for immigrant New York ers will ensure immigrant families can safely access schools, healthcare, and community services without fear. Local law enforcement agencies are now prohibited from entering into contracts with federal immigration officials. The reforms additionally prohibit immigration agents from entering sensitive locations like schools, medical facilities, and parks without a warrant, and allow New Yorkers to pursue legal action over constitutional rights violations committed by ICE.

COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL INVESTMENTS

Our community service organizations, which provide critical resources and assistance to serve Buffalo’s East Side and District 63’s most vulnerable communities, are receiving millions in funding.

This year, Senator Baskin secured $400,000 for Neighborhood Legal Services to provide free legal aid to low-income residents and $250,000 for the Western New York Law Center’s Small Business Legal Clinic. Jericho Road, a com munity health center that also provides temporary shelter and legal assistance for refugees and asylum seekers, will receive $300,000. Additional investments include $200,000 for the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor, $200,000 for the Buffalo Center for Arts & Technology, $400,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of WNY, and $180,000 for the Osborne Association’s Familyworks Pro gram in Buffalo, which works with incarcerated fathers.

An avid supporter of the arts, Senator Baskin secured $200,000 each for the AKG Museum and Arts Services Initiative of Western New York, along with $1 million for Art park and $1.2 million for Shea’s Performing Arts Center.

“While there is always more work to be done, I believe this budget represents meaningful progress toward reinvest ing in communities like Buffalo’s East Side that have been left behind for decades,” Senator Baskin said.