New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says he's prepared to write a check to fund all the costs of universal pre-kindergarten as fast as New York City can phase in the program.
Cuomo made the comments to The New York Times, a day after Mayor Bill de Blasio refused to back down from his signature proposal to raise taxes on the wealthy to expand pre-K — despite Cuomo's inclusion of alternate funding in the state budget to pay for it.
Cuomo questioned why the tax was needed if the state would fully fund pre-K.
A spokesman for the mayor responded that de Blasio believed the fairest way to secure a dedicated, full five years of funding was a tax on the rich.
Cuomo said he didn't expect the Legislature to approve it.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.
