POLL: What measures will make the final state budget?

With the calendar turning to March, the weather (allegedly) warming up, and state legislators spending more of their time in Albany, budget season is officially in full swing. Over the next several weeks, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature will go back-and-forth over which programs and initiatives will be included in the final budget, and which will be left on the cutting room floor.

Cuomo and the leaders of both state houses have put forth many intriguing budget proposals, but if past is prologue, the fact that 2016 is an election year for the Republican-controlled state Senate and Democratic-controlled Assembly, means it’s unlikely that many of the more controversial budget priorities – such as raising taxes on the wealthy or the seemingly always-dispensable DREAM Act – will make the final cut. 

But perhaps our readers have an alternative view. In our poll below, we’ve listed nine proposals that may or may not be included in the executive budget. Tell us which of these items (you can pick more than one) you think Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie will include in the final document on April 1 (assuming the budget is finalized on time).

• $15 minimum wage – Arguably Cuomo’s top priority, and he has the backing of nearly every Democrat in the state, as well as labor unions. Convincing Flanagan, who recently indicated that the proposal will be a nonstarter for his conference, is the biggest hurdle to overcome.
•  Paid Family Leave - Cuomo’s proposal would require all employers to allow their employees to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave. The program would be funded by weekly employee contributions starting at 70 cents, but would eventually increase to $1.40 and would allow employees to earn a portion of their wage.
• Ethics Reform – After years of paying lip service to – and, some would argue, obstructing – ethics reform, Cuomo has proposed significant changes including strictly limiting outside income, and doing away with a large loophole in campaign finance restrictions that allows unlimited contributions through Limited Liability Companies, or LLC’s.
• CUNY/Medicaid Cuts for New York City – A proposal that Mayor Bill de Blasio and Heastie will likely fight to exclude – Cuomo wants New York City to pay a larger share of the local cost of Medicaid and of the costs of the senior colleges at CUNY. The Citizens Budget Commission estimates that shift would cost the city $800 million.
• Property tax cap – Democrats are pressing for changes to the state property tax cap so that it would not be tied to the rate of inflation, and allow for 2 percent growth each year. Republicans, on the other hand, want to institute a property tax cap for New York City.
• Tax increase on the wealthy – One of Heastie’s top priorities – the Assembly speaker wants the Legislature to renew the income tax surcharge on wealthy New Yorkers, which is set to expire this year, and cut taxes permanently for the middle class.
• New 421-a tax abatement – The controversial tax abatement, which is key to building affordable housing, expired in January. The Legislature is expected to outline a new program this session, though the sticking point remains providing a prevailing wage for construction workers.
• Legalizing mixed martial arts - New York is the only state in the country where mixed martial arts remains banned at the professional level. The Republican-led Senate has already passed a bill that would legalize the sport, but the Assembly has balked at supporting legalization.
• DREAM Act – A bill allowing undocumented immigrants in New York to apply for state college tuition assistance has passed the Assembly for five straight years, only to see it die in the Senate.
• Closing of the Gap Elimination Adjustment - The GEA was instituted to establish the amount of education aid that was specifically cut from each school district. Cuomo has proposed to eliminate the GEA for all school districts by the 2017-18 school year.

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