New York lawmakers are busy this week in Albany trying to pass an on-time state budget for 2017-2018. If state lawmakers want to pass a budget on time for the fourth consecutive, legislators will need to do it this week. Governor Cuomo’s proposals have sparked lots of debate, perhaps none more so than his idea to offer free college tuition to certain students based on income at state colleges and universities. Not everyone has jumped on that bandwagon, including state House Representative Clifford Crouch, whose district includes parts of Broome County along with Chenango and Delaware. Still, the governor has defended the costly proposal by saying it would be the first of its kinds in the country and enable thousands of students to realize their dreams of higher education. The state’s new fiscal year begins April 1.
