Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie recently expressed frustration to reporters about the state budget negotiations being at a standstill due to policy disagreements with Gov. Kathy Hochul. This halt in discussions may actually be a positive development.

Because Hochul and the Legislature’s Democratic majorities are in accord on plans that will push New York to further ruin. 

That is, on a gargantuan $260 billion in spending — a spree that completely ignores the clear fact that major cuts in federal aid are coming.

Those advocating for higher spending seem to believe that delaying decisions will work to their advantage: By solidifying spending commitments now and waiting for federal budget cuts to take effect, they can then justify raising state taxes to cover the shortfall and shift the blame onto Republicans in Washington.

The longer any disagreements delay the budget past the April 1 deadline, the less defensible their denial becomes.

Even as-is, the plan threatens to add a staggering $18.2 billion in red ink through 2029.

The Citizens Budget Commission has issued a stern warning about Albany’s approach, criticizing the rapid increase in spending, unwise tax hikes, and failure to address the underlying budget deficit. According to the commission, these proposals pose a threat to New York State’s financial stability and economic competitiveness.

The longer they’re at loggerheads over policy issues, the greater the chance some power player will admit to these dangers and reopen the fiscal debate.

For what it’s worth, Hochul is plainly right on those policy disputes, above all on the need for modest changes to the disastrous “discovery” reforms and beefing up the involuntary commitment statutes.

Her push for a statewide ban on smartphones in schools is also common sense.

Albany is a bizarre bubble, so cut off from the real world that lawmakers from the city can oppose changes backed by their constituents and even fellow progressives like Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg.

It’s perversely appropriate that the state’s leaders are supposed to settle on the budget by April Fool’s Day — because the plans they’ve already agreed to amount to a nasty pack of lies.