Both houses of the state Legislature put forward budget plans Tuesday, and the Democratic North Country assemblywoman voted for the plan from the Democrat-controlled Assembly while the Republican North Country assemblyman said he likes the plan from the Republican-controlled Senate.

Both plans include more school funding that Governor Andrew Cuomo’s plan.

“The budget passed by the New York State Assembly will restore $200 million to the school aid funding that was cut in the governor’s executive budget,” said Democrat Addie Russell, whose 118th Assembly District encompasses the part of St. Lawrence County along the St. Lawrence River.

“That money will assist with some of the shortfalls that have forced our local districts to plan severe cutbacks. In addition, it put back money to fund teacher centers such as those we have in Jefferson and St. Lawrence Counties,” Russell said.

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush, a Republican whose district, the 122nd, includes the rest of the county, said

“The Assembly’s budget is simply an opportunity wasted,” Blankenbush said. “This budget resolution approves $1 billion in new spending, a $4.9 billion tax hike, and wastes a valuable opportunity to address the budget gap in a fiscally responsible way.”

The assembly’s budget imposes two new taxes and excludes funding for the Tug Hill Commission, while the senate’s budget redistributes money among programs to provide restorations in school aid, agriculture funding, and for the Tug Hill Commission, Blankenbush’s office said in a statement.

Russell said, “School districts should not have to pay for Regents exams and this budget restores this funding. The Assembly budget also provides reimbursement to school districts for buses replaced if they are more than 10 years old or have more than 120,000 miles. This is very important to rural school districts that might have been forced to keep high mileage, high maintenance school bsses on the road. The Assembly budget also rejected elimination of reimbursement for non-instructional services within BOCES. Early Intervention services are also restored by the Assembly budget so that children can receive appropriate services at a pivotal time in their development. The Assembly budget provides $700,000 to support GED programs and rejected a $177 million cost shift to schools for special education services.”

Russell continued, “The Assembly also restored state support for SUNY Upstate Medical University and other SUNY Hospitals by 50%. Jefferson Community college will have $113 per full time student restored in this budget which will reduce pressures on property tax payers.”

Blankenbush said that he is “pleased that the Assembly Majority recognized the importance of agriculture to the state’s economy and restored funding for the industry. However, I campaigned on a pledge of no new taxes, and I intend to keep that promise,” said the assemblyman. “It seems that the senate is being more strategic and mindful of taxpayers’ existing burdens with its budget. The senate is able to restore funding for school aid and agriculture, among other programs, but still ends up with less spending than the governor and the assembly—with no new taxes.”

The Assembly rejects the governor’s proposal for a new $1.2 million competitive grant program, administered by the Department of Agriculture & Markets and replaces it with appropriations for the following programs:

• Farm Viability Institute - $300,000;

• Center for Dairy Excellence - $114,000;

• Local Fairs - $255,000;

• Farm Net - $384,000;

• Integrated Pest Management - $375,000;

• Golden Nematode - $48,000;

• Future Farmers of America - $144,000;

• Ag In the Classroom - $60,000;

• Association of Agriculture Educators - $50,000;

• NYS Apple Growers Association - $155,000; and

• NY Wine & Grape Foundation - $535,000.

In addition, Blankenbush’s statement said, while the Assembly budget restores $200 million in school aid, the governor’s same funding formula is used, which shortchanges the North Country and reduces the region’s fair share of state education aid.

The Assembly Majority also proposes $500 million more in total spending than the executive proposal, as well as $4.9 billion in new taxes, including an extension of the “millionaire’s tax” and the “baby tax”, a $170 million assessment on hospitals for obstetrical care, said Blankenbush.

“With this new ‘baby tax’, combined with the state estate tax, the Assembly Majority wants to tax families from cradle to grave,” said Blankenbush.

The Senate plan, Blankenbush said, proposes no new taxes but simply reallocates money from other programs to restore funding for agriculture, including $1 million for the Farm Viability Institute, just over $1 million for the Tug Hill Commission, and $263 million more in school aid.

“I remain optimistic that the governor, Assembly and Senate can come to an agreement on a budget that does not include tax hikes and that is more fair to upstate and rural New York,” added Blankenbush.