Slow going on budget

ALBANY — Confusion reigned at the state Capitol Friday as Gov. Cuomo and lawmakers blew their deadline for adopting a new budget.

With New York’s fiscal year set to begin at midnight, lawmakers reported slow, if any, progress on a handful of thorny issues, especially a provision to raise New York’s age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18.

Negotiations were further thrown into turmoil when the GOP-controlled state Senate adjourned late in the afternoon and some senators headed back to their home districts not intending to return until at least Sunday.

But they were soon called back, with some having to turn around on the state Thruway to return to the Capitol.

There was talk of the Legislature potentially passing a budget extender to allow government to keep operating while budget talks continue.

But Senate GOP Majority Leader John Flanagan dismissed the idea and by Friday night it appeared talks were back on track.

Shortly after 11 p.m., Flanagan told reporters that lawmakers and Cuomo were nearing agreements on most outstanding issues with education funding and the raise the age provision among the final sticking points in the budget.

“These are really complicated issues and we are still having discussions,” Flanagan said.

Cuomo, who has repeatedly boasted that his administration put an end to New York’s shameworthy reputation for late budgets, said because the start of the fiscal year is beginning on a Saturday, he was giving the Legislature a “grace” period of the weekend to conclude negotiations.

“These are extraordinary times in our state and country and we have an ambitious agenda to protect New Yorkers,” he said.

If there is no deal by the end of the weekend, Cuomo (photo) said he’d push an emergency budget extender that would run through May 21, when the federal budget is proposed.

“Extending the state budget also allows us flexibility to adjust to future federal changes, which if enacted, could cost the state billions,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Senate Deputy Majority Leader John DeFrancisco (R-Syracuse) described the talks as “whack-amole ... It’s the same issues we started with and each time the mole comes up you whack it on the head and it pops up over here.”Lawmakers are due back at the Capitol Saturday

morning.