N.Y. gov’t may close
Budget battle rages down to the wire
ALBANY — New York is facing the potential of its first ever state government shutdown unless Gov. Cuomo and the Legislature can reach a budget deal by the end of the weekend.
With the state fiscal year having started Saturday without a new budget in place, Cuomo gave the Legislature the weekend to agree to a deal or he will push an emergency bill to extend last year’s budget through the May 21 presentation of President Trump’s proposed federal budget. Under such a scenario, lawmakers likely wouldn’t get paid.
Late Saturday night, a source with knowledge of the talks said a “global” deal was reached on the budget — including raising the age from 16 to 18 that a teen can be charged as an adult, which was the main roadblock to an agreement between Cuomo and the legislative leaders.
“It’s now on the leaders to deliver their conferences,” a source said.
State Senate Republicans, during an earlier closed-door session to discuss their options, raised the possibility of rejecting the extender and shutting the government down, one senator who was in the room said.
“It’s definitely being discussed as an option,” he said.
Another Senate GOPer said it’s a matter of sending a message to Cuomo that the Legislature is a co-equal branch of government. “I can’t envision a scenario where the Legislature will take that,” the source said of allowing Cuomo to push his own budget extender. “No one’s going to just allow him to do a budget on his own.”
One Albany insider dismissed the talk as “political posturing that hasn’t been thought through.”
The source said a government shutdown would not only hurt state agencies like motor vehicles, but life-and-death agencies like state police and prisons. “This isn’t parks not opening, this is no one manning the asylum,” he said.
Over in the Assembly, members of the Democratic majority said no one has specifically raised the idea of a government shutdown. But they also wouldn’t commit to automatically passing whatever budget extender Cuomo sends them.
Some say a shutdown would allow Cuomo to use his bully pulpit to travel the state to bash the Legislature for not doing its job. Others say that for someone believed to be considering a 2020 presidential run, it could damage his frequent boast that Albany during his tenure has managed to work in a bipartisan manner, a stark contrast to gridlocked Washington.
Budget negotiations ran all day Saturday.
“It’s April Fools’ Day but it feels more like ‘Groundhog Day’ — the movie,” joked Sen. Joe Griffo (R-Utica).
Throughout the day a working group of legislators involved in the issue, including Brooklyn Assemblyman Joe Lentol, a Democrat, and Sen. Patrick Gallivan (R-Erie County) traveled back and forth to Cuomo’s office to try and reach an accord.
The Legislature will return to the Capitol on Sunday.
It’s April Fools’ Day but it feels more like ‘Groundhog Day’ – the movie. SEN. JOE GRIFFO ON BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS