New York Legislature to start passing 2nd straight on-time budget
Posted: 03.30.2012 at 6:22 AM
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ALBANY (AP) -- New York's Senate and Assembly are poised to vote on final budget bills and close the second straight budget on time.

The $132.5 billion budget increases spending by just 1.9 percent and addresses a nearly $2 billion deficit.

Voting Friday on the massive budget bills negotiated by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Senate leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is expected to take hours.

The budget is due midnight Saturday.

The 2012-13 fiscal plan includes a 4-percent increase in school aid and for the Medicaid health care program.

The budget also includes Cuomo's New York Works program to create jobs.

On-time budgets have been approved just seven times since 1975, although Albany seems to have gotten the knack - or the message from voters - in recent years.

Meanwhile, a black Democratic state senator has used Twitter to deride recent budget negotiations as "three White guys in a room making all the decisions."

The Republican majority leader, who is white, promptly called the tweet "dumb."

Brooklyn Sen. Kevin Parker tweeted his comment while Majority Leader Dean Skelos was praising the budget talks on a live radio interview.

Parker tweeted: "Three White guys in the room making all the decisions. Of course that what Skelos wants."

When questioned by reporters, Skelos called the comment "dumb."

Parker referred to the talks by Skelos, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, all of whom are white. They met by telephone and in closed-door session to negotiate the state budget.

Parker did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)