New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she’s still deciding how long a second state budget extender should be as lawmakers remained out of town on Monday.
The current extension, passed on March 31, runs through Tuesday to keep government funding flowing and state workers paid. The budget was due April 1.
“We’re still working on the details of the length of each extender,” Hochul told reporters Monday. “Certainly, we gave a longer one because of the religious observances of Passover and Easter. There’s two more days of Passover. Passover continues until this Thursday, so I think we’re going to make sure we make accommodations for those religious observances again.”
Lawmakers are expected to return to Albany Tuesday to pass another extender. When asked how many extenders the governor and Legislature might need to pass before a final budget is agreed to, Hochul said, “I hope as few as necessary.”
Negotiations between Hochul and legislative leaders remain ongoing, with major differences on the governor’s proposal to reform the state’s car insurance laws and dial back the 2019 climate law, highlighting the current impasse, as well as differences over raising taxes on the wealthy, school aid and Tier 6 pension reform.
“We speak all the time,” Hochul said.