Kolb: Time Is Running Out On The ‘Budget Clock’

The clock counts down to April 1st and the budget deadline

March 26, 2007

Assemblyman Brian Kolb (R,C,I-Canandaigua) joined members of the Assembly Minority Conference to announce they are using their symbolic ‘budget countdown clock’ for the first time in three years, after two years of on-time state budgets.

“The Assembly Minority Conference has long recognized the negative effect that late budgets had on local governments and school districts. That is why we enthusiastically joined previous administrations in passing an on-time budget for the past two years,” said Kolb. “My hope is that this ‘budget countdown clock’ will instill a sense of urgency in the current administration and Assembly Majority to work together, along with the Senate, to pass an on-time budget.”

The past two years, the state budget passed on or before the April 1 deadline. According to Kolb, the Assembly minority is advancing a plan that would guarantee an on-time budget every year. Highlights of the plan include:

• Requiring two-year education funding provision to alleviate the burden that a late state budget places on local school districts that rely on state government for much of their funding
• Prohibiting consideration of non-budget bills after April 1 until the budget is adopted

Furthermore, the disagreement over the governor’s health care cuts, property tax plan and backdoor tax increase on businesses is hindering agreement on the budget. Kolb also thinks each of the budget proposals spends too much money.

“Thus far this session, we’ve had many successes that had eluded us for the past several years, including workers’ compensation reform, ethics reform, and civil confinement,” said Kolb. “My hope is that momentum will not be lost to gridlock in getting a budget passed on time once again.”

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