The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. April 7, 2021 Proposed NY Budget Includes $2 Billion for First-Ever Excluded Workers Fund --------------------------------------------------------------------------- In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo and lawmakers struck a deal Tuesday to create a $2.1 billion assistance fund for workers excluded from federal benefits during the pandemic, many of them undocumented. Excluded workers organized for months, with some taking part in a hunger strike over the past three weeks to protest the unjust system. Advocates hailed the deal, which is part of the state's proposed $212 billion budget, as a major victory, but some warn the measure contains burdensome proof-of-employment requirements, which can be harder for undocumented workers and those in informal jobs to provide. Click here to see our interview on the subject. .