Sources: Announcement of NYS budget deal tentatively planned for this week

ALBANY — The State Legislature on Tuesday passed the seventh emergency spending bill as closed-door negotiations gained momentum and announcement of a budget deal was tentatively planned for later this week, according to Senate and Assembly sources briefed on the plan.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders tentatively hope to announce a deal by the end of this week for the spending plan that was due April 1, said the two officials. That could allow budget bills to be passed early next week before the budget, expected to total more than $252 billion, becomes a full month late.

The officials, who spoke to Newsday on the condition of anonymity because they aren’t authorized to comment, said this was the first time negotiations have reached a point where they can tentatively plan to announce a deal.

No details of agreements in the closed-door negotiations were released.

Publicly, other Democrats who have been briefed on negotiations said they were more optimistic about a deal than during the past three weeks.

"I think the hope is we reach agreements on things this week and past them next" week, said Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris of Queens. "That will be a nice outcome if we can get there," Gianaris told reporters after a lengthy and private Democratic majority conference.

In passing Hochul’s emergency spending "extender" on Tuesday, the legislature approved another $2.4 billion in spending to keep the state operating through Thursday. Of that amount, $2.4 billion covers the scheduled payment to school districts. Since April 1, the legislature has approved $12.1 billion in spending based on the 2024-25 budget that expired March 31.

Another extender is already planned for Thursday.

"It’s starting to feel like the movie ‘Groundhog Day,’" said Assemb. Ed Ra (R-Garden City South) in the brief floor debate Tuesday.

Republicans have called the late budget a failure of the Democratic governor and the leaders of the Democratic majorities in the Senate and Assembly who are negotiating the budget. Under Albany’s decades-old practices, only majority conference leaders and the governor negotiate the budget and always in private negotiations.

The massive budget bills that contain spending increases as well as major policy initiatives are then released to the legislature for a public vote days after a budget deal is struck.

A spokesman for Hochul didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Sen. Shelley Mayer (D-Yonkers) said talks are "moving in the right direction," while Assemb. Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon ) agreed that negotiators are close to a deal, "but we haven’t put the final nail in the board yet."

By Michael Gormley

michael.gormley@newsday.com@GormleyAlbany

Michael Gormley has worked for Newsday since 2013, covering state government, politics and issues. He has covered Albany since 2001.