Lawmakers avert government shutdown by narrowly approving Paterson's spending plan

Glenn Blain and Kenneth Lovett New York Daily News 06/14/2010 14:36

Gov. Paterson listens to a speaker during Monday night's all-important meeting at the Capitol in Albany.

Chaos averted - for at least another week. State lawmakers Monday night narrowly approved Gov. Paterson's latest weekly emergency spending plan, swallowing $327 million in mental health and social service cuts rather than risk a government shutdown with a rejection.

Paterson needed GOP help to keep the state running.

Republican Sens. Hugh Farley of Schenectady, Roy McDonald of Saratoga Springs and Charles Fuschillo of Long Island voted for the plan, offsetting the defection of Bronx Democrat Ruben Diaz.

"To not pass this extender would drive New York State into a state of chaos," said Farley.

Paterson's proposal sailed through the Assembly, but squeaked to approval in the Senate by a 34-27 vote.

Democratic Senate boss John Sampson personally thanked the Republicans for crossing the aisle.

Had the emergency spending proposal been rejected, government would have shut down this morning at 12:01 a.m.

New York has been operating on a series of one-week extenders since the start of the fiscal year began April 1 without a permanent spending plan in place.

With yesterday's vote, nearly 60% of the final budget has now been rammed through the emergency extenders, including more than $1 billion in cuts and cost savings.

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