A state government that actually works

With everything that has been going on in New York lately, it’s almost hard to remember that, just 24 months ago, we were the laughingstock of the country.

There was the month that the State Senate shut down. Nothing could get done in Albany without weeks and weeks of gridlock. An on-time budget? The idea itself was laughable.

But the three leaders in Albany — Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver — recently announced that they had reached an agreement on the budget, and for the second year in a row, New York passed a spending plan on time.

It’s indicative of a new climate in the capital, one in which things actually get done. And there has been a lot getting done lately: Same-sex couples are finally allowed to marry, fair and nonpartisan redistricting is closer to becoming a reality, teacher evaluations are being implemented and a new DNA bank will help keep all of us safer.

Of course, whether all of these advancements are good or bad is open to debate. New York is a big state with lots of people — and lots of opinions. And all of this functional state government is going to impact us here on Long Island as well.

The proposed budget plan includes another round of Regional Council Awards. Last year, Long Island won millions of dollars for developing jobs and projects in the area, putting our people back to work. The spending plan also includes an increase in school aid — more than $800 million — which is always a boon.

Cuomo’s budget plan will also take the burden of Medicaid expenses off local governments, phasing those costs out completely over the next few years. It also includes increased aid to community college students and more public-assistance spending.

The new DNA Databank expansion means that anyone convicted of a felony or penal law misdemeanor will have a sample of his or her DNA stored in the state’s extensive database. New York is the first state to enact such a comprehensive law. And while it will no doubt help solve a multitude of crimes, DNA profiling will also help exonerate innocent people.