JOHNSON CITY, N Y (607NewsNow) — New York has a budget for 2026.

Governor Kathy Hochul went to Johnson City Middle School to sign the budget Friday morning, calling it a historic moment.

“ You’re getting a real lesson in government. You are the first students, I’m going to guess in the history of the state, to ever be there for the signing of the New York State Budget,” Hochul said. It includes rebate checks for families.

“Everything’s getting so much more expensive — your sneakers, your, your clothes, your backpacks, and it’s been hard. It’s hard for them to pay the bills, so I knew that if I could focus on families, help your parents out — the inflation rebate will help thousands of families here in this area. Every child that’s under the age of four. Anybody have little siblings under the age of four? Anybody? Okay, that’s $1,000 for your family. Anybody over age four here? Yes, you all are. That’s $500 for your parents, for each one of you and your siblings. Okay. Add it up. That’s money back for your parents, but also covers the complete cost of school breakfast and lunches, so mom and dad don’t have to pay for that. And also a tax cut for your parents. So it’s all going to add up to about $5,000.”

The Fiscal Year 2026 budget, which was due on April 1, also includes a ban on cell phones in classrooms. She touted its positive health benefits.

“The health of all the students that are coming behind you who should never even know you could have a cell phone in school. You are the first. You are the ones that went ahead of everybody else, and I want to thank your leadership for that as well. But every student in the state of New York, starting in September, will have the opportunity of having a distraction free school experience where they can learn and study instead of looking at memes, look at their math, and get things done in school and be more productive and it’ll benefit them overall.”

This is a developing story.