Negotiations continue in Albany

Negotiations continue in Albany today as lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo try to settle on a budget agreement before the April 1 deadline. Legislative leaders did not provide much of an update yesterday, except to say that their talks continue with the governor behind closed doors. One of the sticking points could be taxes, as the Assembly wants to increase taxes on millionaires, while the Senate wants to let the current tax rate expire. Another thorny issue is education spending, as some Republican members of the Senate would like to see charter schools receive more funding while Assembly Democrats would like to increase aid to public schools. Other issues include the governor’s plans for income-based free tuition for some state residents and forcing municipalities to put together a shared services plan. An agreement must be in place by Saturday for the budget to be on-time for the fourth consecutive year.