[NYAPRS Enews] TU: Senate Returning Thursday; State Deficit Grows To $2.1 Billion

[Matt Canuteson]

NYAPRS Note: Last week New York State budget officials reported that
Gov. Paterson will be calling the legislature back to session in
September to address the states growing budget deficit, now up to $2.1
billion. 


The Senate will be returning before September however, Senate Democratic
Conference Leader John Sampson has called a special session for this
Thursday (Aug. 6) at 10 a.m. to take up legislation, including school
governance for the City of New York and chapter amendments to the bill.

There are a number of important issues for the mental health community
that advocates are hoping will be able to be passed including
legislation designed to protect the health, safety, and welfare of NY's
adult home residents, and legislation that amends existing MISCC
language to expand the Council to add 4 new agency and 3 consumer seats
while removing the requirement to rotate MISCC Chairs. 

 


Senate Special Session Aug. 6 (Update)
<http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/17175/senate-special-sessio
n-aug-6/> 


Irene Jay Liu Albany Times Union July 30th 2009 

Senate Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson has called a special
session of the Senate for next Thursday, Aug. 6 at 10 a.m., according to
a Senate source.

The agenda has not been articulated as of yet, but a vote on mayoral
control of New York City schools would be expected. Sampson has
previously said that the Senate would vote before the school year. NYC
Mayor Michael Bloomberg was more specific in his press release
announcing the deal, saying he "look(s) forward to the Senate coming
back to Albany the first week of August and passing this important
legislation."

Update: Senate Democratic spokesman Travis Proulx confirmed the Aug. 6
special session and said the Senate will be taking up mayoral control
and respective chapter amendments. Other agenda items are still being
considered, Proulx said.

http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/17175/senate-special-session
-aug-6/

 

 

Deficit Looms For NY: $2.1B Budget Gap Expanding Say Officials

Glenn Bain <http://www.nydailynews.com/authors/Glenn%20Bain>  Daily News
August 1st 2009

ALBANY <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Albany>  - Just three months
into the fiscal year, state lawmakers need to close a $2.1 billion
deficit this year and an even bigger gap next year, budget officials
said.

Gov. Paterson <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/David+Paterson>  said
he and Lt. Gov. Ravitch will give the Legislature a plan to address the
deficit in September. 

"Further action is needed to control spending," Paterson said. 

The Budget Division says that unless the Legislature acts, New York
<http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/New+York> 's budget gap will reach
$4.6 billion by the 2010-2011 fiscal year - more than double the $2.2
billion gap officials predicted in April. 

"The economic downturn continues to exert a powerful negative effect on
tax receipts in many states, including New York," state Budget Director
Robert Megna <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Robert+Megna>  told
reporters. 

Republicans blamed Paterson and the Democrat-controlled Legislature for
going overboard with spending. 

"Rather than utilize the federal stimulus monies to put New York on
sounder financial footing ... Democrats went on an unprecedented
spending spree," said Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos
<http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Dean+Skelos>  (R-L.I.). 

The $131 billion budget adopted in April included a nearly 9% spending
increase. 

It also included new taxes and fees, including a three-year hike in the
personal income tax on families making $300,000. 

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan)
<http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Sheldon+Silver>  vowed to "work with
the governor and Senate to address these challenges." 

Megna said the weak economy played havoc with revenue collections,
especially personal income taxes. Through the first quarter, revenue
from personal income taxes was down 35% from last year; sales tax
collections were down 6%, he said. 

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/08/01/2009-08-01_deficit_looms_
for_ny_21b_budget_gap.html?print=1&page=all

 

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