The State Assembly's top Republican is giving good grades to Governor Andrew Cuomo's proposed budget for the coming year.
Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb says he's most pleased that the Cuomo budget holds the line on taxes. But in an appearance on the Capitol Pressroom on WBFO, Kolb said he does have some issues with the spending plan. He says building new casinos as Cuomo is proposing will not save the upstate economy.
Kolb challenged the governor to do more to improve the business climate so more companies would be willing to locate here.
He also said education funding remains an issue for upstate school districts.
"The governor says we have increased education spending. But if you talk to upstate school districts, you're going to hear it's still not enough," Kolb said. "They say it's hard to keep our doors open. Some are struggling to keep their math and science classes operating. "
Kolb said there's a strong possibility that the Legislature will approve an on-time budget for the third consecutive year, something that has not happened since the mid 1970s.