The New York state budget, already a week late, will have to wait until after the solar eclipse.
The state Assembly returned to Albany on Sunday to approve a temporary budget extender through April 11, a bare-bones spending bill that will ensure the state’s payroll will go out on time this week.
It was a day earlier than lawmakers were scheduled to return — which will allow Assembly members to return to their districts for Monday’s eclipse, if they so choose. The Senate, meanwhile, declined to alter its schedule and is scheduled to approve the measure Monday morning.
The move comes as Gov. Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders continue to struggle to reach a deal on a full budget, which — once approved — will exceed $233 billion and remain in place for the state’s fiscal year that began April 1.
They’ve been locked in closed-door negotiations for weeks on issues like housing policy, education spending and Medicaid reimbursement rates, failing to reach consensus but insisting that they’re heading toward an amicable resolution.
Even if Hochul and legislative leaders reach a handshake deal soon, voting on the budget may have to wait. Along with Monday’s eclipse, the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which the Legislature traditionally observes with a day off, is also set for this week.
Speaking with reporters at the Capitol on Thursday, Hochul said she’s confident lawmakers were nearing the end of negotiations.
“We are not finished yet, you all know that, but I also think there’s a lot of good progress,” she said. “Everybody’s rolling up their sleeves, ready to work through the weekend, Sunday, whenever it takes us next week. Again, with the religious holidays it might be a little bit of a complication, but the end is near.”
Hochul, a Democrat, had previously said she intended to view the eclipse at Niagara Falls, which is expected to be one of the most-attended locales for Monday afternoon’s display. But during a news conference on Sunday the governor said she may be stuck in Albany during the eclipse, depending on the status of budget negotiations.
The Senate, meanwhile, decided to stick with its original schedule, with its members expected in Albany on Monday to approve the temporary extender. It will be the third short-term extender lawmakers passed since late March, when it became clear they would blow past the April 1 deadline to have a full budget in place.
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