‘Conceptual agreement’ on NY state budget includes protest buffer zones, security funding, Hochul says

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, announced a $35 million investment in hate-crime prevention grants and backed legislation creating protest-free buffer zones around places of worship as part of the state’s fiscal year 2027 budget plan.

Hochul said a “conceptual agreement” had been reached with legislative leaders, although Carl Heastie, New York state Assembly speaker and a Democrat, disputed that characterization on Thursday.

“There is no budget deal,” Heastie told reporters. “I don’t care what the governor says.”

“With a conceptual agreement in place, the legislative houses are expected to pass bills that will fully enact these priorities in the coming days,” the governor’s office stated.

The $35 million allocation for the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes program would bring the state’s total investment in the initiative to more than $131 million since Hochul took office in 2021. A matching $35 million was made available from the 2026 fiscal year budget in response to rising threats of terror-related violence amid the war in the Middle East.

“With the conflict we are seeing globally, it is more important than ever to ensure that New York remains a safe haven for all,” Hochul said last month, when proposing the funding. “This funding reflects our commitment to stand by communities facing threats because of who they are, what they believe or how they live.”

The grant program, administered by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, allows eligible nonprofits to apply for up to $250,000 for physical security and cybersecurity upgrades. State officials said the funding could support as many as 280 projects, including cameras, alarms, locks, barriers, shatter-resistant glass, public-address systems, cybersecurity improvements and security training.

Hochul’s proposal to establish 25-foot buffer zones around houses of worship, making it a criminal offense to enter the restricted area for the purpose of protesting, is more contentious.

Many Jewish and interfaith groups, which say it is needed to protect worshipers from harassment and intimidation, particularly following demonstrations outside synagogues in New York City, back the measure.

Civil-liberties and anti-Israel activist groups, including the New York Civil Liberties Union, have argued that the proposal could violate First Amendment protections.

Late last month, the New York City Council passed a similar measure to strengthen police protection around houses of worship with a veto-proof majority. Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York City, vetoed a nearly identical proposal, which passed the City Council without a veto-proof majority and which would have extended similar protections to educational institutions.

The New York City bill, which does not specify a distance or penalty, orders the New York City Police Department to develop plans to protect houses of worship.

New York City has seen repeated anti-Israel protests outside synagogues and other Jewish communal events, including one on Tuesday outside Manhattan’s Park East Synagogue, which is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for potential civil-rights violations.