The New York State Assembly and Senate were preparing to adjourn for the year Wednesday afternoon, without any deals on extending control of the New York City Mayor’s authority over the public school system, or the continuation of sales taxes in Upstate and Long Island counties.
Assembly Democrats have tied the two issues together in one bill, and Assembly Majority Leader Joe Morelle says they don’t have any intention of delinking the two items.
“It’s pretty basic,” said Morelle. “If you’re going to say you really believe in local control, then local control extends to the largest municipality in the state, which is the City of New York.”
Republicans in the State Senate, along with Governor Cuomo, want continuation of mayoral control to be linked to strengthening charter schools, something Assembly Democrats have adamantly rejected.
And Senators want the extension of the county sales tax decoupled from mayoral control, saying the deadlock is holding counties outside New York hostage.
Earlier in the day, Senate Independent Democratic Leader Jeff Klein, following a closed door meeting with Governor Cuomo and legislative leaders, said he hoped for a “grand bargain” that would include the mayoral control extension, the sales tax continuation and some provisions to help charter schools. But lawmakers say deal or not, they plan to end the session and leave before midnight.
They say a bill that would extend the statute of limitations for victims of childhood sexual abuse is not going to be voted on this year. There’s also no sign that there’s any agreement on procurement reform, to address an economic development contracting scandal in the governor’s office.
