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Legislature overrides budget vetoes
By SHERRY HALBROOK
Not only did state legislators make most of the state budget changes and
restorations requested by PEF for fiscal 2006-07, they stood up to the
governor’s vetoes and overrode them in nearly every case.
On April 12, the governor vetoed more than 200 items that were added by the
Legislature as part of the state budget bills they passed in late March. Some of
the vetoes affected PEF’s priority issues.
“I am pleased to report that on April 26, the Legislature voted to override
almost all of the governor’s vetoes, including those that were of direct
interest to PEF,” PEF President Roger Benson announced in a memo to PEF leaders.
Among the veto overrides most important to PEF were:
• Correctional services — The Legislature overrode the veto of $5.2 million to
keep Camp Pharsalia open as a state correctional facility. However, the governor
claims the Legislature acted unconstitutionally in adding the Camp Pharsalia
funding.
PEF is closely monitoring this situation to see whether the facility remains
open for at least another year. Less than half-a-dozen PEF members currently
work there.
“We also were successful in preserving the existing law that requires 12-months
notice before closing a state correctional facility,” Benson said. “We,
therefore, do not believe the state has complied with this notice, and this may
compel the state to keep Camp Pharsalia open for at least the coming year.”
• Group homes for youth — The Legislature overrode the veto of $692,000 the
lawmakers had added to keep open three group homes operated by the state Office
of Children and Family Services in Gloversville, Mt. Vernon and Brooklyn.
• Mental health research — The Legislature overrode vetoes of $500,000 it had
added for research staff at NY Psychiatric Institute and another $500,000 for
research staff at Nathan Kline Institute.
Only two vetoes of measures affecting PEF members were not overridden and they
both deal with additional funding for the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage
Control. These were $700,000 in additional funds for field investigators in the
division’s compliance program and $250,000 for a new “Problem Premises Task
Force.”
(For more information about the vetoes, see the May issue of The Communicator.)
At this point, the regular legislative budget process is complete.
However, as in the past, the governor may still refuse to spend money the
Legislature restored or added over his objections.
“Now, it’s really up to our members and labor-management teams at every agency
and worksite to stay on top of how this budget plays out for their members and
services to the public,” Benson added. “The legislators stepped up to the plate,
now it’s up to us to make sure the state really uses the resources that have
been provided to do the job right.”
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The
Communicator June 2006
Features
Making Cost-Benefit Analysis law
Nurses
Storm Capital
Stony
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Legislature overrides
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