NY governor calls for $1B more in budget cuts

Next Politics & Policy Article ALBANY, N.Y. - Legislative leaders were noncommittal Monday to New York Gov. David Paterson's plan to cut at least $600 million from the state budget in Medicaid, pork barrel spending and aid to local governments. Paterson proposed $1 billion in spending cuts for the Legislature to consider at its special session Aug. 19, suggesting they try to find at least $600 million to cut. With about a week before the one-day session, Senate majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver had little to say about the governor's proposal, which they had just received on Monday. The plan would not include any reductions in school spending. "We will review the proposals advanced today by the governor and will continue to work with the governor and with our colleagues in the Senate," Silver said... [read full story]