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Cuomo Backs Free Tuition For Kids Of Fallen Service Members

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he supports making attending a state college or university free for the children of service members who died while performing their official duties.

The Democrat's comments came after Republicans blamed state lawmakers from Cuomo's party for blocking the proposal, which would also cover room and board without the need for additional scholarships.

Republicans objected this week after a Democrat-led legislative committee blocked the Assembly bill from proceeding to a vote.

Cuomo says the Legislature still has time to pass the measure before adjourning in June.

New York students from families making $110,000 a year or less can already apply for free tuition under the Excelsior Scholarship.

Lawmakers voted this year to extend the Excelsior scholarship to New York students brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

© 2019 AP

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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