By Eileen Buckley
Albany, NY – Leaders of the state Legislature held a private budget meeting with the Governor in Albany Monday. But there is still no deal yet on a state budget.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno emerged from the almost hour-long meeting with Governor Pataki expressing guarded optimism on reaching a new spending deal. The budget is already a week overdue.
Silver and Bruno did say an agreement might be in sight for a new state budget. But they would not provide any details. However, Silver says more state aid for schools was at the top of his priority list.
Bruno says Pataki and legislative leaders must first figure out where the money is needed, then determine where the funding will come from. Assembly Speaker Silive says they are much closer to an agreement on how much money is available to spend than they were at this time last year.