New York lawmakers are voicing concern over Governor Kathy Hochul’s record-breaking $252 billion executive budget, with critics calling it unsustainable and dismissive of the state’s long-term affordability issues.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has rolled out a $252 billion budget that calls for tax cuts, expanded child credits and record spending on programs amid

Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled her vision for a more affordable and secure New York today with the introduction of the Executive Budget for Fiscal Year 2026.

Hochul's fiscal year 2026 budget proposal includes $8 million to bolster security at the northern border and "power-ready" sites to attract new businesses.

Hochul’s $252 billion budget proposal, released on Tuesday, allocates $35.4 billion for the Health Department’s Medicaid budget, a 14% increase from last year. However, the state’s financial plan lacks accompanying policies to tamp down ballooning Medicaid costs, running the risk that those costs will run the state into a deficit.

Close to 7 million people in New York are projected to be on Medicaid as of March, state officials said, which remains a challenge for its budget plan. There were 7.6 million New Yorkers on Medicaid in November 2023 compared with 6.