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Assembly Speaker offers support to education lobbyists, criticizes Gov. Cuomo

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver offered his support to lobbyists for more school aid funding, and offered a subtle criticism to Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, addressing three hundred or so parents and school children brought to Albany by the Alliance for Quality Education, offered an answer to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s recent assertion that He is the lobbyist for the students.

“I would respectfully disagree with the governor on one point,” said Silver . “The most powerful lobbying group for the students is their parents, and that’s beyond dispute.”

Afterward, Silver said that while the governor and legislature are locked in to a prior agreement to increase school funding this year by 4% from last year,  he does not think it is “enough”.

Karen DeWitt is Capitol Bureau Chief for New York State Public Radio, a network of 10 public radio stations in New York State. She has covered state government and politics for the network since 1990.
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