In a sign of dysfunction in the state Capitol, the state budget is now five days late. But late budgets in Albany are nothing new.

State lawmakers and governors of the past have a history of blowing through the April 1 deadline without a spending plan.

The New York state budget passed the Assembly last year eight days past the deadline in 2022 — Gov. Kathy Hochul’s first year in office.


What You Need To Know

  • This year’s budget is still not finalized, even though it was due April 1

  • The budget was also late last year, and has been many time before since mid-1980s

  • The latest state budget of the last 30 years was in 2004 when it stretched into August

“We are not inexperienced,” Hochul told reporters last year after a budget deal was reached. “We know how to get things done. I have been accomplishing many goals, unexpected victories.”

Legislative leaders characterized it as a particularly tough year.

“This was a difficult year,” State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said at the time. “A lot of time because there were lots of issues, lots of new issues.”

Missing budget deadlines have been commonplace in Albany since 1984.

The latest state budget in that period came in 2004, when it was 133 days late.

In 1997, it also stretched into the month of August, when it was 126 days late. The same happened in 1999.

In 2001, it was 125 days late, then it wasn’t that late again until 2010. That’s when former Gov. David Paterson had a fight with his own party over taxes and fees.

“We are pleased to announce that we have an agreement on the budget,” former Gov. Andrew Cuomo said to reporters in Albany six years ago. “The final bill is being printed as we speak.”

When Cuomo took over in 2011, there was a long streak of on time or timely budgets, which meant it was only a day or so late.

But in 2017, that was put to the test when the budget went to April 9.

“The issue that caused the greatest controversy was quote, unquote, the Raise the Age issue,” Cuomo said when asked about what caused the tardiness in 2017. “Because, Zack, it is politically polarizing.”

That holdup in 2017 over changes to the criminal justice system is a familiar story to this year’s budget.

Changes to bail reform held up the budget last year, and it’s doing so again this year.