As a state budget deal looms, face mask proposal continues to complicate talks
With the state budget 24 days late, state lawmakers were back in Albany Wednesday to pass yet another budget extender to fund state government through Tuesday. The hope remains that a handshake deal is within reach Friday with remote conferencing over the weekend — ideally setting the stage for voting on a budget package next week.
State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie met with Gov. Kathy Hochul for just under an hour Thursday afternoon. Stewart-Cousins exited the elevator back to her third floor office to a wall of reporters with one question: Do we have a handshake deal?