Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a $254 billion budget deal on Monday, including a deal with state lawmakers to add extra costs to people wearing masks when committing crimes.
Hawkel said additional charges can only be filed if the suspect is charged with a Class A misdemeanor or more serious charge. Politico reported that when prosecutors charged the crime individually, lawmakers agreed to reduce the fines for masks to Class B misdemeanors.
The Governor initially wanted stricter legislation to fight masked suspects and raised the issue last summer as politicians across the country worked on widespread protests against the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza.
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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a $254 billion budget that includes a deal with lawmakers to increase costs for mask-wearing suspects. (Alex Kent/Getty Image)
"It's really about focusing on people wearing masks hiding their identity when they commit another crime," Goth owner said.
Additional charges also apply to people fleeing the crime scene.
Hawkell would have wanted to inflict additional fines if someone masked his face while threatening or harassing a group of people, a proposal that was softened before the bill added to the national budget this week, a concern among Democratic lawmakers and civil liberties advocated.
The Governor initially wanted stricter legislation to fight masked suspects and raised the issue last summer as politicians across the country worked on widespread protests against the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza. (Reuters/David Di Delgado)
The annual budget will not take effect until lawmakers resolve several spending decisions, and if patients fail to meet their basic needs, it will also allow hospitals to involuntarily assume New Yorkers who are mentally ill, which lowers the previous standard that can only be promised involuntarily if it poses a physical threat to themselves or to themselves or others.
Other recommendations in the budget include a stronger national discovery law to address recidivism and ban students from using their cell phones during school hours.
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Additional charges also apply to people fleeing the crime scene. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
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According to Politico, Hawkel announced a budget agreement on Monday, but lawmakers still need to make decisions on certain issues, including funding formulas for public schools and Medicaid.
The media reported that the governor's spending plan will be the highest in state history, $100 billion higher than the state budget ten years ago. Prison costs and additional spending on health care, child care and education put the budget at a scale of as much as $2 billion than she proposed in January.