The governor is trying to force his policy ideas into the state budget, but the legislative branch is pushing back. Zack Fink filed the following report.
Last month, Governor Andrew Cuomo introduced what's known as his 30-day budget amendments. By law, the legislature introduces them and passes them in both houses.
So far, though, neither the Senate nor the Assembly has acted. And some lawmakers are threatening to file suit over the amendments because they are loaded up with Cuomo's policy proposals instead of just budget bookkeeping.
"I will wager you there is no lawsuit," Cuomo said. "First, we're in the middle of a budget discussion in Albany, which means there's always two points of view."
The legislature voted three days this week and still did not address the governor's amendments.
On Wednesday, state leaders met behind closed doors for budget negotiations. While they insisted it was a productive conversation, there was no commitment to accept the governor's proposals.
"I don't believe there's lawsuits that are necessary," said state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos. "We're going through the 30-day amendments, whatever you want to call them. They're very complicated."
Complicated because they include controversial education and ethics reforms, including greater income disclosure for the state legislature.
"I've looked at the last 10 years of the 30-day amendments. You rarely see as much policy being jammed into the appropriation bills as you've seen with this governor," said Blair Horner of the New York Public Interest Research Group.
Another issue Cuomo has put into the budget is his proposal to raise the age for teens to be tried as adults. Advocates held a press conference about it at the Capitol this week. Right now, New York is just one of only two states allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to not be treated as juveniles.
"It should not be in. It should be outside the budget, the money should be laid aside for it and we should negotiate with the governor, the executor and the Assembly and come up with something that we believe is a package that works for not just the city, for New York but for the state of New York," said state Senator Martin Golden of Brooklyn.
It's not just Senate Republicans who are objecting to the governor's stance here. Assembly Democrats say the governor is tying their hands. They are specifically opposed to many of the education proposals.