New York Governor Kathy Hochul Signs $254 Billion State Budget

Governor Kathy Hochul has put her signature on a New York state budget.

The $254 billion spending plan that comes more than a month late was signed by the Democrat during a visit to a Broome County school this morning.

“I wanted to say I delivered on my promise. I’m going to continue keeping my promises. And you are here to witness this. So what we do is we have the bill that was passed by the legislature late last night. It says ‘Senate’ and ‘the Assembly’ and what is it looking for? The governor’s signature,” Hochul told students.

The budget finished late Thursday includes versions of Hochul’s priorities laid out in her State of the State address in January, including “inflation refund” checks, reforms to the state’s discovery laws, and a ban on cell phones in schools.

“Every student in the state of New York, starting in September, will have the opportunity of having a distraction-free school experience where they can learn and study. Instead of looking at memes, look at their math,” said Hochul.

While Democratic legislative leaders are celebrating the budget that they say prioritizes affordability, minority Republicans say the plan falls short.

Image: New York Governor Kathy Hochul signs 2026 FY Budget into law at a Broome County middle school on Friday morning, May 9, 2025. (Credit: Office of the Governor)