White Plains CitizeNetReporter - Assembly Overrides Governor Pataki Veto of School District Vote Extension

WPCNR ALBANY ADVOCATE & COMMENTATOR. From District 89 Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley Communications Center. April 28, 2003:Assemblyman Adam Bradley (D-White Plains) announced Monday that the Assembly voted to override the governor’s veto of a bill giving school districts more time to pass their budgets.

“When it comes to education, the governor has made a series of wrong choices,” Bradley said. “First he chose to cut $1.4 billion from our schools, then he vetoed a bill that would have rescheduled school budget voting to June 3. We can’t let those wrong choices stand.”

The bipartisan measure – which originally passed the Assembly unanimously and the Senate by 60-1 – gives school boards some much-needed breathing room in an exceptionally difficult year. Instead, the governor is forcing voters to decide on school budgets without knowing how much state aid they can count on.

“It would be unfortunate if school districts laid off teachers and cut programs and were unable to restore them once we pass the substantial restorations to school aid,” Bradley said. “This override vote shows how concerned the Assembly is about the education of our children.”

The Legislature is on schedule to approve the state budget by the end of the month. But school districts – which currently were to finalize their budgets by yesterday Monday – can’t undo layoffs and program cuts even if they receive more state aid once their budgets are approved by voters.

“If school districts are going to provide our children with sound educations, they have to know what kind of resources to expect,” Bradley said. “The fact that the governor doesn’t want to give them even a little more time is another example of his lack of lack of concern for the educational needs of our children. Overriding his veto is the right thing to do for our schools and for taxpayers.”


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