Budget negotiations are expected to get serious at the New York State Capitol this week, with the spending plan due at the end of the month.
The Senate and Assembly are due to put out their one house budget resolutions on Wednesday, the first step toward reaching a final deal with Governor Andrew Cuomo later this month.
There are a number of unresolved issues, including how to pay for and structure a plan to provide universal pre-kindergarten to New York’s four-year-olds. A multi-step plan proposed by Governor Cuomo to freeze property taxes has faced skepticism.
And the governor is also seeking an ethics reform package that would crack down on bribery and allow public financing of political campaigns.
Despite the outstanding differences, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says he does not think that any issue will cause the budget to be late.
“I think everybody in the legislature, both sides of the aisle, in both houses, are committed to a timely budget,” Silver said.
The fiscal year ends on March 31.
