NewsColony

Keep It Simple, Albany. This Is No Time for Budget Games. NewsColony Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s leadership during the coronavirus pandemic has been disciplined and deft. May he and the Legislature approach this week’s budget negotiations with the same steady focus. State spending for the coming fiscal year, expected to be roughly $175 billion, must by law be approved by midnight on Tuesday. This year’s budget season comes as the spreading virus has hobbled the economy and devastated state revenues. New York has already spent over $1 billion to fight the pandemic and is expecting a revenue shortfall of as much as $15 billion. Typically, the budget is an annual festival of pork and a chance to change state law without having to bother with the inconvenience of actual lawmaking, which, unlike the usually secretive budget wrangling, unfolds in full public view. The responsible thing would be for Mr. Cuomo; the Assembly speaker, Carl Heastie; and the Senate majority leader, Andrea St...