NY legislature passes $132 bln budget, no new taxes

[The Northerner]

ALBANY, N.Y., March 31 (Reuters) - The New York state legislature on Thursday passed a $132.5 billion spending plan, closing a $10 billion deficit with no new taxes or debt and instead relying on harsh cuts to education and healthcare.

Having been passed by both the Republican-led state Senate and the Democratic-controlled state Assembly, the budget will now be sent to Governor Andrew Cuomo to sign. It is the first budget since 2006 to be passed by the April 1 deadline.

"Tonight the legislature not only passed an on-time budget, but a historic and transformational budget," Cuomo said.

The budget, which cuts total spending by 2 percent, also calls for the layoff of 9,800 state employees unless public employee unions concede $450 million in savings in pay and benefits.

The budget is an early victory for Cuomo, who persuaded the legislature to back almost all of his plan by threatening a government shutdown in the event of an impasse.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/31/usa-budget-newyork-idUSN3019738120110331

[aquart]

1. What taxes did they cut?

Millionaires party while state employees starve, lose their homes, commit suicide?