Bruno and Silver Announce Joint Legislative Budget Schedule

Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver today announced an agreement on a joint legislative budget schedule that sets out deadlines the Legislature will adhere to in order to achieve an on-time budget for New York State.

"The public budget negotiation process we are announcing is a road map to another on time budget. It reflects a commitment to work together to deliver a budget that addresses the priorities of New Yorkers and is in the best interests of the people of this state," said Bruno.

"Now that the governor has presented his budget presentation, it is up to the Legislature to analyze it carefully and determine how it will impact the everyday lives of New Yorkers," said Silver. "The Legislature has begun joint public hearings on the governor's budget. Once these hearings conclude, each house will develop and adopt its own spending plan and work out our differences through open and public conference committees."

"The last few years have proven that when there is a plan in place and a willingness on all sides to get the job done, an on-time and balanced budget can be accomplished by the legal deadline," said State Senator Owen H. Johnson (4th Senate District, Babylon) Chairman of the Finance Committee.

"This schedule will allow us to move forward with a timely and transparent budget process that will produce a sound, fiscally prudent, fair and equitable on-time budget," said Assemblyman Herman D. Farrell, Jr. (D-Manhattan), Chair of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.

The agreed-to legislative budget schedule for 2008 is as follows:

On or before

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