Gov. Andrew Cuomo laid out his $178 billion spending plan for the coming year. 

The budget proposal, once again, includes plans to legalize marijuana and a boost in education aid that is, as usual, not enough for education advocates. Meanwhile, a push to alter the state's new cash bail law inched along. 

Here are three things we learned during the budget week in Albany. 

1. Marijuana legalization is gaining traction

Sen. Peter Harckham, a Democrat who had not signed on to the legalization bill, endorsed it amid an agreement to divert money from the revenue gained from the measure to combat substance abuse. 

Harckham's backing the bill came as a Siena College poll showed a 20-percentage point spread in favor of the bill among voters. But the suburban voters remain split over the issue, highlighting the need for pro-legalization supporters to bring along more lawmakers from Long Island and Westchester County. 

2. Cuomo's school aid proposal isn't enough for education groups 

This isn't a big surprise to anyone, least of all the governor. Cuomo proposed spending more than $800 million in additional funding for education this year in the budget. That's not near the $1.2 billion education advocates have sought virtually every year. 

It's also part of a negotiation in which the Legislature will inevitably propose more spending and they will eventually meet somewhere in the middle. 

Cuomo this year, also, wants to divert more money to so-called "high needs" schools in poor districts. But scambling the education aid formula could be to the detriment of downstate schools. 

3. How will cash bail be altered?

Senate Democrats continued to say they were open to changes to the law that ended cash bail requirements for misdemeanors and non-violent felonies, holding meetings this week with law enforcement and prosecutorial groups in Albany. 

There is still a big knot to untie over how to balance the political concerns created by the law and preserve its intent for the criminal justice advocates who wanted to change the system. 

In short, there seems to be a lot more work to do. But the timetable is potentially short: Cuomo indicated he wants to get the changes done in the budget.