New York State lawmakers are expected to miss Monday?s midnight deadline to pass a budget.
Gov. David Paterson, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno hammered out a compromise budget that the Legislature is now considering, but lawmakers say that it likely won?t be passed until later this week. The proposed budget increases spending by almost 4.5 percent, but will not increase income taxes for residents earning over a million dollars.
School aid could increase by almost $2 billion, which would give each school district at least a 3 percent increase.
Hospitals and nursing homes could see an additional $245 million that former Gov. Eliot Spitzer had cut.
Sen. Joe Bruno said there will be no increases in state judge?s salaries. They haven?t had a raise in a decade and earn less than some lower level judges.
The cigarette tax across the state could double to $3 a pack.
The entire budget is projected to be around $80 billion.