"We Have a Deal" (New York Budget): Strong on Education and Ethics Reform

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D)

(is kinda happy, if ...)

If State Legislators Pass a Bill

(leaders agree, now let's see) 

Two related articles and moving pieced to this budget “deal” story - the one that the Gov and Party Leaders have agreed on. We still need it to be a law to have any meaning:

Syracuse.com here (highlights): A New York state budget deal was announced Sunday night by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Legislature leaders that included education reforms and increased school aid, ethics reform rules that require legislators to disclose outside income, and a $1.5 billion pot of money that Upstate cities can compete for.

The Gov and party leaders said the budget includes $23.5 billion in school aid, an overall school aid increase of approximately $1.4 billion, or 6.1 percent. 

Spending on all state operations grows by only 2 percent, the leaders said. 

Some $1.5 billion will be available for Upstate cities comes from $5.4 billion in lawsuit settlements. 

Continue at the Syracuse link.

From the NY Times here (also in part):  Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and legislative leaders on Sunday night (March 29, 2015) reached an agreement on the next state budget, capping weeks of deliberations over issues like deterring public corruption and improving public schools. The budget, which still needs the formal approval of lawmakers, would be the state’s fifth in a row passed by the April 1 deadline. 

Key parts in addition to education reform measures include: 

Administration officials said the ethics changes would require lawmakers to disclose more about the income they earn on top of their government salaries, including broader disclosure of legal clients. Mr. Cuomo’s effort to seek more disclosure had rankled some legislators who work as lawyers.

The budget also expands a pension-forfeiture law; further restricts the use of campaign funds for personal expenses; and puts in place new oversight for lawmakers’ travel expenses. Legislators, who earn base salaries of $79,500 and have not received a raise since 1999, also could see that change: The budget creates a commission that would study raising their pay, though no pay hike could take effect until 2017.

Continue at the NY Times link.