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ALBANY — This could be the year pork returns to the state Capitol.
After two years of austerity budgets with no “member items” for state lawmakers, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver indicated yesterday he’d like them back in the budget for the fiscal year that begins next month.
“I think members know their districts and the needs of their districts better than anyone else,” Silver (D-Manhattan) said when asked if he was pushing for member-item money in his budget negotiations with Gov. Cuomo and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos. “I believe members should be able to address needs in their districts.”
Skelos spokesman Scott Reif would only say leaders have “had absolutely no discussions about member items,” and a Cuomo spokesman called Silver’s comments “news to us.”
Silver’s aides would not say how much he’s seeking.
Until 2010-11, recent state budgets included $200 million annually for pork- barrel projects for everything from Little League fields to senior-citizen centers — $85 million each for the Senate and Assembly and $30 million for the governor.
Cuomo hasn’t included any in his first two budget plans, including this year’s $132 billion proposal.
Also yesterday, Silver and Skelos (R-LI) said that the budget wouldn’t include an increase in New York’s minimum wage but that it could happen separately.
“I see it as part of the substantive discussion before this year’s legislative session is over,” said Silver, who’s pushing for a hike from the current $7.25 an hour to $8.50 starting next year, with annual indexing for inflation.
Skelos yesterday reiterated his opposition to such an increase as a potential “job killer.”
The session is scheduled to run through June 21.
Silver pegged school aid as his top budget priority this year.
Cuomo proposed targeting $250 million of his recommended $805 million, 4-percent school aid increase to reward districts that demonstrate improved student performance and efficiency.
But Silver wants more allocated through the traditional school-aid formula, “taking care of some of the high-needs districts,” such as New York City.