The State Capitol is back in the grips of dysfunction after state budget talks have broken down in Albany. Five days past their deadline, some lawmakers are heading home, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the deadlock isn’t his fault. Statehouse Reporter Zack Fink has the story.
On Day Ten of round-the-clock negotiations at the State Capitol, a final impasse blows up the possibility of a deal anytime soon.
Lawmakers and Cuomo officially had a late budget when Saturday's deadline came and went.
It was a setback for the governor, who has made on-time budgets a hallmark of his administration.
"I think if you compare it to past governors, I don't think any governor in modern history has gotten more on-time budgets than we have," Cuomo said. "And it was important because it made a statement."
After Cuomo's evening press conference Wednesday, Republican Senators, who had already stayed through the weekend because they were told a deal was close, gaveled out of session and went home.
"We have nothing to do right now," Syracuse State Sen. John DeFrancisco said. "There's open issues, and we think it's not prudent, and we also think it's costly to the taxpayer to pay per diems to legislators for sitting around in this particular fashion."
In contrast, Assembly Democrats — who are no longer getting paid because of the late budget, but are receiving a daily financial allowance for every day they are in Albany — decided to stay.
"I wouldn't say we are further apart," Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said. "As I said to you, I think if we were to solve the issue around education, I think we would probably be done."
Some have said that resentments between Cuomo and the two houses came to a head this year after a fight over a possible pay raise, leading to the late budget.
"Yeah, there is some of that, but that's just the nature of the business," State Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan said. "From a legislative leader's standpoint, I'm not worried. We got along, we continue to talk."
Cuomo is also in Albany on Thursday.