The state Assembly and Senate have released one house versions of a state budget that do not include Governor Cuomo’s plan for a new benefit tier to limit the pensions of future public workers.
The budgets plans are designed to stake out the positions of Assembly Democrats and Senate Republicans- and are often changed in the final deal with the governor.
Neither house has included Cuomo’s plan to offer a new Tier 6 benefit package with smaller pensions for new workers.
Senate Finance Committee Chair John DeFrancisco, debating on the Senate floor, says the pension changes are still under discussion with the governor.
He says Cuomo has offered a new option, and Senators are deciding if it’s “is something that we should support”.
Governor Cuomo has threatened that he won’t accept any spending plan from the legislature that does not include a new pension tier for future state workers.
The governor says if there’s no agreement, he’ll try to force lawmakers to adopt his plan by presenting it in the first budget extender, then daring the legislature to accept it or shut down the government.