Senate votes to extend budget
Extension leaves many at odds with Cuomo
ALBANY, N.Y. >> After days of finger-pointing over stalled state budget negotiations, legislators and Gov. Andrew Cuomo moved swiftly Monday to pay 150,000 state workers this week and keep state government operating semi-normally until May 31.
But the unexpected two-month stop-gap measure drew sharp criticism even as legislators moved to adopt it.
“We should not extend it for two months,” said Assembly member Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn), saying Cuomo was being “vindictive” because the April 1 budget deadline was missed. “There’s no justification for it. If we are very close to resolving this then two weeks would be sufficient.”
“This guy (Cuomo) should look into the mirror as to why his budget is late but instead he blamed the president ... He ran his mouth for months about the dysfunction in Washington and this guy can’t get a budget done on time,” said Assembly member Steve McLaughlin (R-Melrose). “Ridiculous.”
“It’s on you, governor,” McLaughlin said. “It’s your mess.”
The state Budget Division said the bills will permit spending about $15.3 billion in state tax funds over the next two months -- or $24.6 billion when all funds are counted. Details were buried in 1,700 pages of dense bill language.
The Senate and Assembly votes Monday capped a weekend of inertia that included threats to try to shut down the state Senate if votes were scheduled on budget bills without “raise the age” reforms to prevent teenagers from being prosecuted as adults for violent crimes.
But the bills passed the Senate and were on
track to do the same in the Assembly late Monday.
The vote removed the possibility of a first- ever government shutdown in New York, but left behind a residue of bad feelings. Fifteen Senate Democrats voted against the extender presented by Cuomo, saying it will hurt the state. The GOPwas also unhappy.
“It’s shameful that the Governor and Assembly allowed politics to dominate the discussion and shift the focus from where it should have been -- delivering a fiscally responsible budget that provides relief for our taxpayers and helps make New York more affordable for everyone,” said Senator George Amedore (R-Rotterdam).
“I don’t think (Cuomo) lost his touch,” Sen. John DeFrancisco ( R- Syracuse) told reporters when asked about the late budget. “I think he lost his focus. The focus is no longer on getting a budget. The focus is on his political future.”
He cited Cuomo’s recent assertions that this year’s process has been complicated by the threat of reduced federal aid thanks to GOP control of Congress and the White House. Cuomo is gearing up for running for a third term in 2018 and is also mentioned as a potential presidential candidate in 2020.
Sen. Thomas Croci ( RLong Island) said Cuomo and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie “care more about keeping teenage drug gang members, murderers and rapists out of jail than they do about funding our public schools, providing tax relief for our families and rebuilding our infrastructure. On behalf of the men, women and children I represent, I will not go along with the Governor’s budget, which will lead to our communities being less safe in the face of violent criminal drug gangs who slaughter our kids in cold blood.”
Cuomo remained out of sight Monday. He has not had a public appearance since Tuesday, March 28.
The budget was supposed to be in place by April 1, but the state can continue to operate normally as long as temporary spending measures are enacted.
Cuomo has proposed a $162 billion spending plan for state governor in the coming year.
Extenders keep most state spending flat, and the tactic is in keeping with Cuomo’s goal since taking office of limiting hikes in spending and taxes.
The biggest uncertainty
Assembly member Carrie Woerner (D-Round Lake) said she was “discouraged and frustrated” by the missed April 1 deadline.
lies with school aid, since school districts are putting together budgets this month in anticipation of votes across the state in mid-May.
Assembly member Carrie Woerner ( D- Round Lake) said she was “discouraged and frustrated” by the missed April 1 deadline.
“After a 30 year career in the private sector, I know that such as lack of action would never be tolerated in other industries,” she said.
Late budgets were the norm for decades in Albany, but Cuomo has made it a point of pride to have budgets in place by April 1 or shortly thereafter. This is now the latest state budget since Gov. David Paterson’s last year in office in 2010.
It is not clear what will happen next. The Senate is back in session Tuesday but the Assembly’s plans are not clear.