Senate Resolution Gets Budget Off On Right Foot

Aubertine: A budget to vote “Yes” on would maintain priorities for 48^th, Upstate New York

ALBANY (March 23, 2010)—State Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine said today that the Senate resolution passed on Monday gets the budget process off to a great start for Oswego, Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties.

“This proposal really lays the foundation for where the Senate stands coming into the final stages of this budget process,” Sen. Aubertine said. “This resolution includes many of my priorities, which have been the same priorities I’ve heard from my constituents. It’s unrealistic to expect to support every line of a multi-billion dollar budget, but this proposal certainly provides a good start. This is an important step in the process and I will continue working toward a budget that includes these and other priorities for the region.”

In addition to language that would provide for the full and continued operation of Ogdensburg Correctional Facility, the Senator said several other items in the Senate resolution accomplish his priorities. Those items include:

• Restoration of 57 state parks and historic sites slated for closure under the governor’s plan;
• The elimination of language that would have permitted a sweep of snowmobile trail funds;
• The elimination of proposals to increase taxes, including the tax on sweetened beverages;
• Restoration of critical agricultural funding, including for county fairs, the Farm Viability Institute, and the Wine & Grape Foundation;
• Restores start up funding for the Green Jobs/Green New York program;
• Restoration of $2.4 million in library aid;
• STAR relief for seniors;
• Restoration of $1.2 million for the Rural Rental Assistance Program; and
• Restoration of Environmental Protection Funds, including farmland viability and nonpoint source.

The Senator said he will also continue working with his colleagues to protect the three other prison facilities slated for closure and work toward providing low wealth school districts throughout the region with a fair share of limited education funding.

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