ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The first of 13 public hearings on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's state budget proposal for the next fiscal year get underway this week.
The third-term Democrat last week released a $175 billion spending plan for the 2019-2020 fiscal year that begins April 1. The state Assembly and Senate's first joint budget hearing is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Legislative Office Building in downtown Albany.
Environmental conservation is on the opening agenda for the series of hearings that will wrap up Feb. 13. Among Cuomo's proposals: banning plastic bags given to store customers and expanding the state's bottle bills to include sports drinks and other containers currently not required to have a 5-cent deposit.
Upcoming budget hearing topics include education, transportation, economic development and taxes.
