Assemblyman Andy Goodell, R-Jamestown, said there were several boons for the local area that were included in the newly passed budget.

Goodell said it was an “intense” process that went until 3 a.m. on Thursday morning and he was back at it at 8 a.m. The process finished up late on Friday.

“I was happy to be home in Chautauqua County where we share common values and generally have common sense,” he said wryly.

Goodell said with the help of State Sen. Cathy Young, R-Olean, an increase from $100,000 to $150,000 for the Chautauqua Lake Association was included, as well as $95,000 for the Chautauqua Lake Partnership. Goodell said local school districts will see an increase of $11 million, which includes $5 million in building aid. State aid was increased for Jamestown Community College by $100 to $2,847 per student, and $80,000 in aid was included in the budget for Dream It Do It Western New York, a local educational program focused on manufacturing.

“That’s a great program that connects job applicants to manufacturers,” Goodell said.

Goodell said $13 million in proposed cuts to agriculture were restored in the new budget as well.

For the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program, he said the amount remained the same as last year with $503 million in funding, which is $65 million more than the governor recommended. Goodell said the legislature increased the funding for library construction and also increased library aid by $1 million. He said libraries across Chautauqua County depend on and receive that funding, including the James Prendergast Library.

Goodell said the Child Victims Act, which would open a window of one year for victims to come forward with their claims despite the passage of time, would be addressed at another time. He said the budget is not the appropriate place for the act to be attached, as the budget is mainly to deal with appropriations and revenues, as per the State Constitution. Goodell said both houses have tried to “load up” budget bills.

However, Goodell said he credits the governor and legislative leaders for removing most of the unrelated policy issues from the budget.

Goodell said he voted against increasing borrowing without voter approval because New York state has the second highest debt load in the nation. He said the state is second only to California.

“I opposed any increase in state debt that is not approved by the voters,” he said.

Goodell said he also voted against the opioid tax because it would have been a tax on people receiving pain medications by prescription. Due to reforms, Goodell said overprescription has been “dramatically cut.”