Schools Welcome Assembly Plan for State Aid

March 25, 2010

Gov. David Paterson is issuing emergency spending bills to keep the state running through April 14. It’s a sign New York’s state budget will likely be late again. The budget is due April 1. The Legislature’s last scheduled day of session is Friday. After that, lawmakers plan to take their Passover-Easter vacation until April 7.

Paterson is authorizing only certain essential payments during the two-week period beginning April 1. The governor says, legally, he has to pay the state’s share of Medicaid, and pay state workers, but he says other payments, which include schools and local government, not for profits or other vendors, could be put on hold. And while the governor and the legislature are in disagreement over many of the budget issues, they do agree the odds of meeting the budget deadline are very small.

The Assembly budget plan released yesterday was welcomed by New York school districts, but as Martha Foley reports, they’re watching the clock closely.