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http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/09/nyregion/09fiscal.html

July 9, 2004

Watchdog Group Asks Albany to Give Budget Time to Breathe

By AL BAKER

ALBANY, July 8 - It is a modest proposal, though in Albany, perhaps, somewhat unlikely. A watchdog group has asked all 212 lawmakers to sign a simple pledge: that they will wait at least three days before voting on a budget, as required by the New York State Constitution.

The group, the Citizens Budget Commission, a nonprofit organization backed primarily by businesses, has long been frustrated by the practice in Albany by which lawmakers pass a budget and other important bills in the middle of the night, often without much time for scrutiny or debate of the merits of the proposals.

In a July 2 letter to every legislator, the group's president, Diana Fortuna, said it was time lawmakers be given an extended period to review the budget, which is expected to top the $100 billion mark this year. She asked lawmakers to insist on seeing the plan from leaders in the Senate and Assembly three days before any vote. In many recent years, the practice has been for the leaders to agree on the budget's terms and then force a rushed vote through the Assembly and the Senate.

"We were struck by the fact that the legislators don't have time to read a $100 billion budget even though it has been late for 20 years,'' Ms. Fortuna said. "They take their time and then they hurry up, I guess.''

Lawmakers are expected to return to the Capitol later this month, as they are facing a July 30 deadline to comply with a court order requiring the state to increase aid to New York City's schools. It is unclear, however, when they will consider the budget, and some have said the current impasse could go into August or beyond.

Apparently aware of embarrassment as a motivating tool, Ms. Fortuna promised to announce publicly next week the names of legislators who sign the commitment, either by mailing in or e-mailing a response form, and, more important, the names of those who do not. By Thursday, 10 or 12 legislators had made the pledge, Ms. Fortuna said, though she declined to mention names.

The group's request runs counter to Albany's methods. For one thing, challenging leadership is a daunting prospect for lawmakers, several scholars of state government have observed. Secondly, though the framers of the state's Constitution required lawmakers to let a bill age for three days before voting on it, an exception was included for situations requiring fast action - a tactic state leaders often use to push through legislation.

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