ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Lawmakers met Friday with Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the latest push for a bill that would open state financial aid to students in the country illegally after it was narrowly defeated Monday night.
Supporters of the Dream Act met with Cuomo for nearly an hour and came away encouraged they have his support as budget talks continue.
Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, a Brooklyn Democrat who attended the meeting, said the Senate and Assembly must come to agreement on how to pay for the initiative without using taxpayer money, a condition imposed by Senate Republicans. Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said the measure would cost $25 million a year if approved.
“The governor has stated that he would continue to push to help ensure that the Dream Act become a reality,” Ortiz said.
Sen. Jose Peralta, a Queens Democrat and sponsor of the bill, proposed using unclaimed money in a minimum wage reimbursement program to fund the Dream Act. While the money comes from corporate taxes, it would not require a tax increase on businesses or residents.
The reimbursement program was proposed last year when the state increased the minimum wage. The Legislature agreed to reimburse companies that employ teenagers to help quell fears that an increase in the minimum wage would hurt businesses.
A spokesman for Peralta said that Wal-Mart, which employ workers at minimum wage, has publicly said it has no intention of applying for the program.
“If the governor is talking about working with us, we have to help the governor in finding a way to pay for it,” Peralta said.
The meeting came hours before this weekend’s Somos El Futuro conference of Hispanic lawmakers was set to start.
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