The big deal this past week was our advocacy around the
education tax credit mentioned last blog. On Monday, we had a large press conference
with representatives speaking from the League, NYCLU, unions, and education
advocates. See more on the issue and
press conference, here,
here, and here. Our efforts on Monday brought visibility to
this issue and bolstered Assembly Speaker Silver’s (who has never liked the
bill) position on it in budget negotiations. Now that this issue is more visible, we hope
it has collapsed under its own revenue weight.
Although we have not yet seen the
final budget bill, media is reporting that this tax credit is no longer in it - Thank you to all our members who called the Governor and the Assembly this week to fight for our public schools!
Our advocacy continues full blown on campaign finance reform
and we feel strongly that this budget is our best opportunity to get it passed
this session. We hold out hope that our elected officials
will do the right thing and put comprehensive reform in the budget. As I write, we are waiting for a final budget
agreement, which must be completed by midnight Friday to allow for printing and
the 3-day bill aging period for an on time budget on Monday. We anticipate the budget will be debated all
day Monday. Legislators have already left Albany, so final negotiations are
left, unsurprisingly, to four men in a room.
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