NY Senate Democrats Offer Budget Plan

ALBANY, N.Y. - ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The New York Senate was set to vote Monday on a $136 billion spending plan that Democratic leaders said would soften some budget cuts proposed by Gov. David Paterson while still reducing spending by more than $4 billion, including $1.4 billion in aid to schools.

Sen. John Sampson, leader of the majority Senate Democratic Conference, called the 51-page document "a road map of where we want to go," not a final product. It would reject new soda and cigarette taxes proposed by the Paterson administration and keep state spending increases below the inflation rate, he said.

The proposal would maintain many of Paterson's proposed cuts to state agency budgets. Sampson said it would close the $9.2 billion budget deficit projected for the 2010-11 fiscal year.

"This is a very difficult budget," said Sen. Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat. "New York State is in very difficult economic times."

The senators' proposal would keep most college tuition assistance grants, close three prisons instead of four, cut Medicaid spending, keep state parks and historic sites open, and hold the state's Environmental Protection Fund at $222 million.