ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The New York State Legislature on Thursday passed another extension to the state budget to ensure state employee pay and the uninterrupted continuation of operations as negotiations are still ongoing.
Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) must sign the extension bill, pushing back the deadline for a final spending plan to April 8. Lawmakers missed the original deadline of April 1, and although they had already passed an extension, they say no progress has been made. This is done on major items such as funding for schools.
New York Democratic Party prepares for conflict with Hochul as lawmakers unveil budget proposal
Last year, lawmakers missed a budget deadline by nearly a month, largely due to disagreements over changes to the state’s bail laws and ambitious plans to build new housing. But this year, they appear to be cautious to avoid a similar explosion.
New York State Capitol (December 14, 2020, Albany, New York). (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)
“We’re trying to move mountains in a very honest way to take care of the people who depend on our system,” Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said Wednesday.
Lawmakers are still trying to finalize an agreement on how states should fund schools. Hochul’s proposed plan quickly drew criticism because it would reduce revenue for some districts.
State Rep. Edward Rahr, a Republican, said during a floor debate ahead of the vote on the budget extension that the budget extension leaves school districts with even more uncertainty as the deadline for districts to submit their own spending plans to the public approaches. He said it falls into the realm of sexuality.
“Public officials, school districts, and local governments all need to know what will be included in the state’s final fiscal plan, but those details are nowhere to be found,” Republican Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay said in a statement. ” he said.
Budget discussions between the governor and leaders of the Democratic-run state House and Senate often take place behind closed doors.
Stewart-Cousins said he is working “as quickly as possible” to help the district understand how much funding the state will allocate to the district.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Legislative leaders are also trying to finalize a housing deal that includes new construction, tenant protections and tax breaks for developers to encourage construction. As part of his executive budget proposal, Hochul wants to upgrade state-owned land that could be reused to build up to 15,000 homes.
“We may be in the same district, but we don’t know yet if we’re on the same block,” Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said Thursday of the housing agreement.
