Senator Jim Tedisco (R, 49) tabled a Senate amendment Wednesday, which was supported by Republican Senate Chairman Rob Ortt (R, 62) and the entire Republican Senate Conference, according to a GOP press release.
The press release cites Department of Labor statistics showing that 4.6 million New Yorkers have been unemployed since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
It is also said that every member of the Senate Democratic Conference voted against the proposal.
Freeman Klopott, the press secretary for the New York State Division of the Budget, made the following statement to News10NBC on Wednesday:
“Unemployment benefits have been subject to state taxes for 50 years. Legislature has decoupled the state from changes to the federal tax law, and therefore this income will continue to be taxed under applicable law. We are reviewing this with lawmakers as we work to pass a budget that will support New Yorkers and close a deficit caused entirely by the pandemic’s decimation of government revenues. “
The state budget is due on Thursday at midnight.