Governors First!
October 13th, 2009
The good news is that, tomorrow, legislative staffers will meet with representatives of the Budget Division to discuss how to cut the state’s growing budget deficit. The bad news? The bad news is it is not exactly clear who is going to put forward budget cutting proposals first.
Sen. Liz Krueger told the Observer’s Jimmy Vielkind today that the legislature won’t be going first. “We’re not going to be the first ones to put a proposal on the table because actually the constitution says that’s the role for the governor.”
Legislators hope Paterson’s aides will present ideas that they can tweak and respond to.
Gov. David Paterson has asked legislators to make proposals before he puts forward his plan, but legislators say that it is traditionally the governor’s role to do so.
Paterson has indicated as of late that he understands the legislators aren’t falling over themselves to make proposals before he does, and as a result he may release a plan in the next few weeks. A plan could be put forward as soon as tomorrow.
If such a plan should be proposed there might be a couple of things standing in the way of actually making real progress, the first being that the leaders of the Senate Democratic conference are in China on a trade mission; the second being that the trial of Sen. Hiram Monserrate is coming to an end today and the verdict, depending on what it is, could take priority for Democratic leaders in the Senate.
By David King on October 13, 2009, 2:21 pmIn category: Albany, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

