Tagged: governor andrew cuomo

Governor Cuomo's supposedly no drama budget is coming to a rather dramatic end.

The Senate held a rare weekend session – on Palm Sunday, no less – to pass a limited number of budget bills, while the Assembly, citing the Passover holiday that starts at sundown tonight, refused to return to Albany until Thursday.

Even though state lawmakers announced a budget agreement Wednesday, they spent the day Thursday trying to pin down details and print the bills in time to be through over the weekend.

The Speaker of the State Assembly says a portion of New York’s gun control laws, set to take effect April 15th, may be postponed while talks continue on how to amend the provision.

Lawmakers originally planned to be passing bills by now, ready to wrap up the state budget and leave on a three week break beginning on Thursday.
 
But, instead of an agreement early in the week, each day lawmakers have found themselves discussing new issues , some of them totally unrelated to the spending plan. Most recently, talks have turned to whether to decriminalize public possession of marijuana in New York City, and walking back a provision of the recently enacted gun control laws.

The New York State budget is crawling to a conclusion, as legislative leaders and Governor Cuomo continue closed door meetings to try to strike a final deal.