‘Bones’ of a budget

Pols eye basic plan to just keep state gov’t running

ALBANY — With Friday’s deadline to enact a budget fast approaching, state leaders may have to settle for a “bare bones” spending plan or even shortterm budget extenders that postpone action on the more contentious issues, sources say.

“It has been raised as a possibility,” one Senate Republican said of a less complicated budget.

The idea would be to simply pass a measure allowing government to keep operating at the April 1 start of the new fiscal year.

That could mean that things like Gov. Cuomo’s free college tuition plan, a push to raise the age at which teenagers can be tried as adults to 18, up from 16, and a tax credit for developers who build affordable housing could fall by the wayside — at least for the time being.

A Cuomo aide dismissed the possibility and instead raised the specter of using short-term budget extenders until the revenue picture from the feds becomes clearer.

“We have made great progress on the policy initiatives,” the Cuomo aide said of the negotiations. “If the budget doesn’t come together, it would be due to the possible federal cutbacks not allowing the education increases demanded by the Legislature, which would lead us to go to extenders rather than a bare bones budget.”

There is still a chance a broader deal can be reached this week and passed in time or just a few days late.

A big stumbling block, according to legislative sources, has been raising the age for adult trials, which Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said is “personal” to him.

Heastie (D-Bronx, photo inset) has not wanted to bend to the Senate GOP’s desire for a more limited bill, though some progress was reported over the weekend.

Sources say the Senate Republicans haven’t had enough votes to pass a measure deemed acceptable to Heastie and his members and that entreaties have been made to the mainline Senate Dems to see if they’d provide the necessary votes to get the measure over the top.

While not ruling it out, Senate Dems made clear they won’t settle for “half a loaf.”

Without the raise-the-age provision, Assembly Democrats are less willing to sign off on issues key to the Senate Republicans, such as the reestablishment of an affordable-housing tax credit and reforms to the workers’ compensation system, sources say.

The Senate GOP also has had concerns with Cuomo’s push to create a free tuition plan for some New York public college students. lll Mayor de Blasio’s recent push for his proposed mansion tax that included a surprise trip to Albany last week left many of his fellow Democrats shaking their heads. Some Dems believe de Blasio, despite knowing it has no chance to pass the GOP-controlled state Senate, is using the measure to cater to his progressive base in a reelection year. They say the mayor knows he can blame Albany for the loss — a tactic that is rubbing some allies in the Legislature the wrong way.

“He is as much a disaster in Albany today as he was four years ago,” one legislative Democrat said. “His arrogance has not served him well.”

De Blasio spokeswoman Melissa Grace called the mayor’s plan for a 2.5% tax on the purchase of homes of more than $2 million to help fund affordable housing for 25,000 low-income seniors a “no-brainer.”

“As Washington is looking to harm our great state, it’s time for Albany to stand up for New York City seniors, not the wealthy and corporations who have more than they need,” Grace said.