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Albany, NY – New York Governor David Paterson delivered nearly 6,700 veto messages to the legislature Wednesday, slashing over $500 million dollars in spending out of the state budget. Capital Correspondent Karen DeWitt reports...
Several aides to the governor trudged up and down stairs in the Capitol, their arms laden with the two foot high stacks of documents, as they delivered the veto messages to the Senate and Assembly. Paterson's communications director, Morgan Hook, says the action is not a negotiating tactic.
"He is not negotiating on these vetoes," said Hook. "They have been delivered, at this point, to the legislature."
The $525m in vetoes include $419m in school aid, several million in additional funds to colleges and universities and student aid programs, and numerous individual member items requested by state lawmakers for their districts.
Paterson still wants the legislature to create a contingency plan if some federal Medicaid monies don't come through, as well as a new plan for SUNY and CUNY. His spokesman says the legislature should act on those items because they are the right thing to do, not because they might get something in return, like the member item funds.
The Senate also needs to complete the final budget bill, which would impose new taxes and fees, including a suspension of the clothing sales tax, before the spending plan can be declared complete. No time has been set for a return. Until then, state lawmakers will not receive their paychecks, which have been withheld since the budget deadline was missed on April 1st.