ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - The Latest on the New York state budget (all times local):
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7:45 p.m.
New York’s Assembly has given final legislative approval to New York’s budget for the fiscal year that began Monday, voting for the last four bills in the package Friday evening.
Speaker Carl Heastie says provisions that will gradually raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour, establish 12 weeks of paid family leave for New York workers and cut income tax rates for middle-class filers helped make it the best budget he’s seen in 16 years in the Legislature.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to sign all the bills, the product of lengthy negotiations between legislative leaders and him.
He advocated the higher wages and family leave, which were advanced by Democratic legislators.
The Republican-controlled Senate voted 61-1 earlier Friday to pass the bill with the wage and leave provisions.
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7 p.m.
The New York Assembly followed the Senate on Friday and passed budget legislation to gradually raise the state’s minimum wage to $15, matching the top hourly pay approved by California lawmakers Thursday.
The Democrat-controlled Assembly voted 97-38 Friday evening for the hikes. The bill also establishes paid family leave for New York workers.
“No one should work a full day and still live in poverty,” said Assembly member Michele Titus, a Queens Democrat.
Long Island Republican Dean Murray predicted fewer jobs, especially entry-level jobs, and closed businesses.
He said the minimum wage was “an entry point, not an ending point.”
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4:30 p.m.
The new budget agreement includes a state fund that could help pay doctors and hospitals left with an estimated $200 million in unpaid bills when the insurer Health Republic of New York failed last year.
The cooperative had about 200,000 members enrolled through New York’s health exchange when it went under.
The fund would be under the joint custody of the Department of Financial Services, which regulates insurers, and the state comptroller.
The legislation says payments would be made at the discretion of the department superintendent subject to terms to be set in future law and following distribution of its assets in a pending liquidation proceeding.
Assemblyman Herman “Denny” Farrell says Friday it hasn’t been determined yet where money transferred into the fund will come from.
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12:55 p.m.
The state budget agreement would set the next increase in New York’s minimum wage on Dec. 31.
It would rise from $9 to $11 an hour for larger New York City employers and to $10.50 for those with 10 or fewer workers.
At the same time, it would reach $10 an hour for employers in Westchester County and Long Island, and $9.70 in the rest of the state.
Another bump would follow a year later, reaching $13 for larger city employers, then $15 on Dec. 31, 2017.
The Cuomo administration originally proposed the first increase on July 1.
The spending plan also directs state budget and health officials to consider adjusting Medicaid reimbursements due to minimum wage increases.
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11:30 a.m.
Middle-class tax cuts, higher minimum wages and paid family leave will be on the agenda as the New York Assembly’s minority Republicans and majority Democrats meet in their respective conferences.
The Assembly debated and passed other pieces of the new state budget and related policy measures before adjourning at about 4 a.m. Friday.
Four bills were printed overnight following last-minute negotiations and revisions. They’ll be taken up Friday afternoon.
Republican legislators said they needed more time for staff to read the bills and brief them before voting.
The $156 billion spending plan is for the fiscal year that started Friday, but contains many provisions and commitments for later years. The tax cuts, minimum wage hikes and paid family leave are each set to be phased in.
The Senate has passed them all and adjourned.
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10 a.m.
The New York Senate has overwhelmingly passed the state budget bill containing a measure to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15, matching the top hourly pay approved by California lawmakers Thursday.
The Republican-controlled chamber voted 61-1 Friday for approval after working through the night to pass other parts of the $156 billion spending plan for the fiscal year that began at 12:01 a.m. Friday.
The bill also includes paid family leave for New York workers and a tax cut for middle-class filers.
The wage bill contains a series of “calibrated” increases that would boost the paychecks of 2 million workers across New York state.
The Democrat-controlled Assembly, which adjourned early Friday, plans to return at 10 a.m. to begin debate on the wage bill.
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6:40 a.m.
The New York Senate has begun debating the portion of the budget containing a measure that would raise the state’s minimum wage to $15.
The Republican-controlled chamber began debating the wage increase bill around 6 a.m. after working through the night to pass other parts of the $156 billion spending plan for the fiscal year that began Friday.
The Democrat-controlled Assembly adjourned early Friday and plans to return at 10 a.m. to begin debate on the wage bill.
Passage of the entire budget isn’t expected to occur until later Friday.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and leaders of both chambers reached an agreement Thursday on a budget that will include a gradual minimum wage increase.
The wage bill contains a series of “calibrated” increases that would boost the paychecks of 2 million workers.
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