N.Y. Legislature Passes Bare-Bones Budget That Incenses Educators

By Jessica L. Sandham

Education leaders in New York state say schools and students will suffer from the legislature's decision last week to approve a "baseline" budget that provides schools with only a minimal increase in state aid and leaves in doubt the amount of funding they will receive for the upcoming school year.

Lawmakers passed a long-overdue, $79.6 billion budget on Aug. 2—more than four months past the start of the state's fiscal year—but say they plan to pass a separate, supplemental budget plan in the coming weeks. Senate and Assembly leaders said they decided to approve the preliminary, incomplete spending plan in an effort to break a deadlock in negotiations that has persisted since April, when the budget was officially due. Gov. George E. Pataki described the budget as woefully inadequate and possibly unconstitutional.

Speaking to reporters, the Republican governor criticized the budget as "not meeting the needs of the people, not meeting the needs of the taxpayers, not fiscally sound." A spokesman said late last week that the governor was still weighing what actions he would take with...