State legislators passed a fifth budget extender on Monday as the governor and lawmakers continue to try to reach a final state budget agreement.
The latest extension totals more than $5 billion and includes funding for Medicaid, payroll for state employees and local schools.
Speaking in Buffalo on Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul didn’t rule out the need for another extender for the budget, which is now almost three weeks late.
"I’m not going to say something’s the last extender," she said. "I’ve been hoping we’d be done since April 1. But I'm not walking back from ... the priorities that New Yorkers deserve to have, the majority of them focused on affordability.”
Assemblymember Phil Palmesano of Corning is the leading Republican on the Ways and Means Committee. He criticized the lack of transparency and progress on the budget.
“I will be voting for this extender because we have to keep government open," he said. "But we still have a long way to go, and we need to get to work and do the right thing by the constituents we represent across this state of New York."
The latest extender runs through Wednesday.
Hochul and legislative leaders are trying to reach an agreement on policy issues including auto insurance reform and immigration as part of the budget talks.
