In advance of the Legislature’s two-week break that began today, lawmakers worked through the weekend and passed all remaining budget legislation for a 2017-18 final NYS Budget, nine days past the State’s Fiscal deadline of April 1st.

Final agreements on the $153.1 spending plan were announced last Friday, a week after lawmakers initiated emergency budget extenders in order to avoid a government shutdown. This year’s late budget is a first for the Governor since taking office in 2011.

Labeled the “Middle Class Recovery Act,” the Governor’s agenda lined out several “first in the nation” priorities that led to intense three-way negotiations that contributed to the missed deadline. In the end, several of his proposals including, free tuition for students attending SUNY and CUNY colleges, capping the cost of prescription drugs, as well as raising the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18 years old and the legalization of Upstate ride-sharing services prevailed.

With the completion of the State budget, lawmakers have officially left Albany and will return on April 24th. The focus will then shift to end of Session activities and the special election to be held on May 23rd to fill the seats vacated by Assemblyman Joseph Saladino and Senator Bill Perkins.  The 2017 Regular Legislative Session is scheduled to conclude on June 21st.

For highlights of the NYS 2017-18 Executive Budget, the Governor’s press release can be viewed here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-and-legislative-leaders-announce-agreement-fy-2018-state-budget