Raia Joins Assembly Minority to Unveil Budget Reforms, Countdown Clock

January 30, 2006

Assemblyman Andrew Raia (R,C,I,WF-Northport) joined his Assembly minority colleagues at a press conference in Albany today to unveil the Assembly minority budget reform proposal and the budget countdown clock.

Assemblyman Andrew Raia (R,C,I,WF-East Northport) today joined his Assembly minority colleagues and education and municipal officials to call for permanent state budget reforms while unveiling a budget countdown clock.

“We are proud of the reforms enacted last year, but getting the budget completed by the April 1 deadline is something that should happen every year,” said Raia. “We feel there are further reforms that need to be made to the budget process.”

Assembly minority-sponsored budget process reforms include:

• Require the state comptroller intervene with a binding revenue estimate if a consensus is not reached by legislators by March 10
• Convene budget conference committees by March 15
• Increase the Tax Stabilization Reserve Fund
• Provide a plain-language summary of the budget 48 hours prior to a vote
• Enact the previous year’s budget no later than 72 hours after the start of a new fiscal year if no budget is in place
• Prohibit consideration of non-budget bills after April 1 until adoption of a budget
• Require two-year education funding plans
• Prohibit legislative recesses until a late budget is approved.

“This strong budget reform plan that my minority colleagues and I have proposed would ensure we pass an on-time budget each and every year,” concluded Raia.

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