ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - The latest on the New York state budget (all times local):
12:01 a.m.
New York state leaders have blown through a budget deadline, but top lawmakers say they’ll work through the weekend to pass a new state spending plan.
Republican Senate Leader John Flanagan told reporters late Friday that there is broad support for increased tuition assistance, permitting Uber to expand upstate and new funding for the state’s aging water systems.
Disputes remain, however, over proposals to raise the age of criminal responsibility so 16- and 17-year-old offenders aren’t prosecuted as adults.
Top lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo had hoped to pass the more than $150 billion spending plan before a new fiscal year began Saturday.
Cuomo announced early Saturday that if lawmakers can’t agree on a budget by the end of the weekend he will propose extending current spending levels.
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5 p.m.
A Republican senator says major policy issues creating gridlock in budget negotiations will likely be eliminated from the final compromise as lawmakers wrangle to craft a timely state budget.
Senator John DeFrancisco of Syracuse said as of Friday afternoon, he and many of his colleagues are leaving the Capitol because no budget deals had been finalized. The move nearly guarantees Senate and Assembly leaders will be unable to pass a state budget before the new fiscal year begins Saturday.
Assembly Democrats and Senate Republicans have been unable to move forward specifically on deals involving changing the current state law that prosecutes all 16- and 17-year-old offenders in adult court.
DeFrancisco says he expects a budget to pass before Monday, but predicts that in order to do so many of the most contentious issues will be “jettisoned.”
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3:15 p.m.
A proposal to create special rules for prosecuting 16- and 17-year-old offenders could be taken out of the New York state budget as lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo work to find compromise ahead of a key budget deadline.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and his fellow Democrats have long wanted to change state law so young offenders are prosecuted in family court. Republicans in the state Senate have so far balked at that proposal, and the dispute is now holding up resolution of the budget.
Legislative leaders and Cuomo, a Democrat, had hoped to wrap up the budget before the new fiscal year begins Saturday.
Other top issues in the budget this year include greater tuition assistance and proposals to allow Uber and Lyft to expand upstate.
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9:32 a.m.
It’s deadline time for New York state leaders trying to wrap up negotiations on a new state budget.
Saturday is the first day of a new state fiscal year but as of Friday morning lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo were still working on the details, making it unlikely any votes on budget bills could start before the key deadline comes and goes.
Cuomo had a string of on-time budgets early in his tenure as governor and often said the late budgets of the past were a symptom of political dysfunction. This year’s budget is likely to be late only by a matter of hours or a few days.
Top issues this year include greater tuition assistance for students, allowing Uber and Lyft to expand upstate and juvenile justice reforms.
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