ALBANY – State lawmakers arrived in Albany yesterday to begin work on passing a state budget, but one group was conspicuously absent from the capitol. State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is not convening the Assembly until Thursday, March 28 – just a few days prior to the state budget deadline of March 31.
Meanwhile, members of the State Senate were already in Albany on Sunday to begin the process of approving bills in the budget. The area’s Senator – Cathy Young – said that the legislation passed by the Senate so far addresses crucial areas of funding, including transportation, economic development capital projects, environmental conservation, and public protection.
Among the items highlighted by Young in a media release sent out Sunday night is an increase to the state Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) which will now see a total of $19 million to benefit farmers, research, parks, waterways and other initiatives to protect the environment.
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