North Country Leader

Assemblyman Scott Gray (R,C-Watertown) addressed the ongoing issues surrounding the New York state budget and the repetitive debates on long-standing bills in the latest episode of “The Gray Area” video series. Gray expressed frustration over the delay in finalizing the budget, stating, “Here we are first week of April, still no budget with no anticipation it will be completed next week. In the meantime, we are debating bills ad nauseum that have been around for years—we’ve debated bills this week that have a shelf life of 27 years, 12 years and 16 years. It’s frustrating when we should be doing a budget.”

Gray also shed light on the structure of the budget, highlighting, “Let’s talk a little bit about the budget that doesn’t exist: there are 10 budget bills in total. Five are appropriations bills where we’re actually allocating state revenue to different programs, and there are five public policy bills.” He further detailed each of the 10 budget bills and provided insights on how taxpayer contributions support state revenue.

Reflecting on recent district events, Gray mentioned, “There were no visitors in the Capitol this week, but we had a lot of events going on back in the district this last weekend.” He highlighted various gatherings and activities, including a retirement party, fire department dinners, and visits to local establishments to address community concerns.

Wrapping up the episode, Gray encouraged viewers to stay tuned for future updates, stating, “Look out for next week’s episode of The Gray Area as we continue to update you on what you care about. We always appreciate the opportunity to serve you and to work with you. Don’t hesitate to call my office staff with questions, comments or concerns—see you soon.”

To watch the full episode, visit: [The Gray Area Episode](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4zx7KlTCq0).