State lawmakers approved Monday a stopgap budget measure that will temporarily fund New York's government for the next week as talks over a broader spending plan agreement continue without a deal.
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced she would send lawmakers the spending bill, which will expire on April 10.
Lawmakers in the Democratic-led chambers of the state Senate and Assembly approved the measure and signaled they would return to their districts for the next week.
"New Yorkers are concerned about public safety, the rising cost of housing, and ensuring high-quality schools for all our kids, and any budget deal must make progress on these core issues," she said. "I have been negotiating in good faith with the legislature, but it is clear there is more work to be done before we reach an agreement. For that reason, I am submitting a bill to the legislature that would extend the budget deadline to April 10th, giving us the time we need to deliver a final budget that is responsive to the urgent needs of New Yorkers. We must make real progress to make New York more affordable, more livable and safer."
Approval of the budget extension means more than 55,000 state workers will be paid. State lawmakers themselves will not be paid until a budget deal is finalized, giving Hochul some leverage as the talks continue.
Democratic lawmakers and Hochul remain at odds over measures that could change New York's 2019 bail law as well as creating a statewide housing plan. A budget had been due on April 1, the start of the state's fiscal year. But without an agreement in place, the temporary spending measure was drafted to fund the government.
Hochul is seeking the bail law change under a proposal that could make it easier for judges to set cash bail requirements for serious criminal charges — a proposal made as voters have ranked crime and public safety as key concerns for them over the last several months.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, one of the three top negotiators in the budget process, told reporters on Monday the main sticking point continues to be Hochul's call to change the state's bail law.
He said the discussion is taking up "about 90%" of the talks at the moment.
Housing, as well as a debate over taxes, how to fund mass transit and negotiations over the state's minimum wage also continue as part of the budget.
Lawmakers are also bumping up against a calendar of holidays, with Passover starting Wednesday and Easter on Sunday.
"We are disappointed that all parties couldn’t come together to pass a final budget in a timely manner," Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said. "Today, we will be passing a short-term extender to ensure our public employees continue to be paid and state operations can carry on as usual while budget negotiations proceed. We look forward to concluding our budget process and having a budget that represents the values of all New Yorkers."