Spending extensions shorten as latest budget record nears

From the April 1 onset of the 2001-02 fiscal year until mid-summer, state lawmakers responded to the budget impasse by passing monthlong emergency spending bills. However, when legislators returned to Albany on July 17 to approve another allocation to keep New York’s government operating, they only authorized a one-week extension.

As the state plods on without a budget in place, legislators passed a series of bills totaling $1.91 billion to keep New York running for another week.

The abbreviated extender was intended to activate long overdue negotiations toward an agreement. Due to the lengthy stalemate, the state is approaching its latest budget record, set on Aug. 4, 1997.

Talks were scheduled for mid-July between the governor and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan), following months of partisan finger-pointing. Assembly Democrats had blamed the governor for refusing to negotiate about possible additions to his $83.7 billion spending plan. Republicans argued that the governor fulfilled his responsibility when he submitted his budget in January, and that the two houses must either pass or modify his proposal.

But the two houses differ on how much is available to spend and Silver had declined to negotiate unless the governor first agreed to an overall spending amount with a promise not to broadly veto Democratic programs if the budget remains under that sum.

While the budget impasse seems to continue, so does the need to fund all state obligations, including UUPers’ labor/management committee grants. Notification to the union that the late state budget could slow down payment for these initiatives led UUP into action to minimize the impact on members of any disbursement delays.

UUP’s input ensured that the money necessary to sustain the grant programs was appropriated in the emergency spending bill, pending final action on the budget.

For more information about UUP/New York State joint labor/management committee opportunities, click on Grant Programs on the UUP Web site home page or see http://www.albany.net/~nysuup.