Original Article on Crains New York

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York Legislature reached an agreement to pass a state budget on time for the second year in a row, which would be as uncommon as its small spending increase.The Legislature takes up the $132.5 billion budget plan Wednesday in a flurry of votes that should end late Thursday or early Friday, easily making the fiscal deadline of Saturday midnight.In closed-door meetings and phone calls Monday, Mr. Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver cleared the final major obstacles to agreement.The proposal will increase spending 1.9%, the rate Mr. Cuomo proposed two months ago, while dispatching with a $2 billion deficit. If approved as planned, the budget will follow Mr. Cuomo's freshma...(read more)