SENATE, ASSEMBLY AGREE TO PASS BASELINE BUDGET

Plan Would Keep Government Running, Include School Aid "Down Payment"

Tuesday, July 24, 2001

State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno today announced agreement on a plan to approve next week a baseline budget plan that would ensure the continued operation of government and provide a guaranteed down payment on public school aid to help districts set their tax rates.

Under the plan, New York's 678 school districts could expect a share of $14.1 billion in public school funding. Senator Bruno said that number should rise with the adoption of a "supplemental budget" containing increased school aid and support for other new initiatives to be negotiated by the two leaders and the Governor before mid-September.

"This spending plan lends certainty to educators, private and public service providers, and state and local taxpayers for a minimum level of state support for programs important to local communities and clears the way for continued, earnest, three-way discussions of other budget priorities to proceed," said Senator Bruno (R-C, Brunswick). "It fulfills our obligation to put a basic budget plan in place even as we attempt to resolve sometimes deep differences that remain between the Senate, Assembly and the Governor over the best ways to help bolster our economy, strengthen the state's finances and protect vital government services."

While spending levels in the baseline budget plan would be the same, or lower, than those in the Governor's Executive Budget, program changes and proposed new initiatives would be left for continuing three-way negotiations on a supplemental spending plan.

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