In rare press briefing, Cuomo gives update on ongoing budget talks

Gov. Andrew Cuomo held a rare briefing with state Capitol reporters on Tuesday afternoon to give an update on the state budget negotiations – although photographers and video cameras were barred.

Speaking to reporters in his conference room on the second floor of the state Capitol, Cuomo was light on details, but discussed the status of several key issues being negotiated – namely the proposal to raise the minimum wage and paid family leave.

Cuomo said there was a “conceptual agreement” with legislative leaders on raising the minimum wage statewide and enacting paid family leave, but the details are still being negotiated.

“The top two issues (paid family leave and minimum wage) are very discreet, nuanced issues, which is a little different for us. The only other comparison is when we do tax cuts, when you get into brackets and ranges, which is also in this package,” Cuomo told reporters. “So, that’s why it’s more tedious, I would say, than most negotiations, because they are slight calibration differences that could be argued a number of ways and we want to get it as tight and a solid as we can.”

Cuomo told reporters that his current priorities for the state budget include funding for upstate airports, the Regional Economic Development Councils, the state’s construction budget and capital funding and the plan to renovate the James A. Farley Post Office Building for Manhattan’s Penn Station.

Earlier Tuesday afternoon, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan said there was no deal yet but that discussions were progressing. Heastie and state Sen. Jeff Klein, the leader of the Independent Democratic Conference, said they hoped to have a deal today so that budget bills could be printed Tuesday night.

Here’s a list of the current status of several key issues being negotiated in the state budget, based on remarks from Cuomo:

Still being discussed:

·        Minimum wage – Cuomo said there is an “agreement” that a minimum wage increase will be included in the budget in some form. The phase-in period for certain parts of the state and the final amount to which the minimum wage will be raised is still being discussed. (Cuomo has called for a $15 minimum wage statewide, to be phased in over time.) A mechanism for the governor to stop or halt the rollout if there’s an economic downturn may be included.

·        Paid family leave – The measure, a Cuomo priority, will be included, although details are still being negotiated.

·        Gap Elimination Adjustment – There is no agreement on a full elimination of the GEA this year or over two years. Two education priorities are GEA and funding for community schools, and Cuomo would not rule out that those two could be tied together in deal.

·       Tax cuts – A larger tax cut for small business tax relief than proposed in the executive budget is on the table.

·       Medicaid funding – Cuomo said he is still pushing for a $250 million cut in Medicaid funding statewide. Assembly Democrats have been pushing back against the $180 million cut to New York City’s Medicaid funding.

No longer being discussed:

·        A small business carve-out for paid family leave and minimum wage has been taken off the table.

·        The Assembly’s proposal to raise taxes on wealthy.

·        SUNY’s “rational tuition” plan is unlikely to be renewed this year.