Leaders of the fragile coalition governing the state Senate got into a fierce fight Monday over Mayor de Blasio’s push for a tax hike to finance universal pre-K.
Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos said the mayor’s plan to tax the rich is dead on arrival and that he won’t even allow it to come to the floor for a vote.
“The last thing we need is to see high earners leave New York state, because then we lose their tax dollars,” Skelos said.
But his governing partner, Democrat Jeff Klein, said he won’t vote for any state budget that doesn’t include the tax increase covering city residents who make $500,000 or more.
“I will not approve a budget that fails to realize the vision Mayor de Blasio and I share of providing high-quality, universal pre-K to the 50,000 4-year-olds who need it,” said Klein.
“Mayor de Blasio’s plan is the only one that provides New York City with the funding it needs to achieve that goal,” Klein said.
Skelos’ position puts him on the same side as Gov. Cuomo, who has offered to have the state pick up the pre-K tab so there’s no need for a tax hike.
“The governor has clearly indicated that you don’t have to raise taxes in New York City,” Skelos said.
The battle in the Senate could delay passage of the state budget by the April 1 deadline, the first time that would happen under Cuomo.
One state senator said legislators are getting caught in the middle of a war between Cuomo and de Blasio.
“Pre-K is going to be one of the toughest issues to deal with in the budget,” said state Sen. Martin Dilan (D-Brooklyn). “We have to figure it out. The issue is between the governor and the mayor.”
“De Blasio is playing hardball The mayor has union clout behind him. It could make a difference. . . . Cuomo is playing hardball, too. Stay tuned and see who wins.”
There are 29 Republican votes in the 63-member Senate, which means the GOP needs Klein’s four-member Independent Democratic Conference to pass legislation that doesn’t otherwise have other Democratic support.
Senate Democratic leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins weighed in on Klein’s side — as did a number of unions.
“It is unfortunate that a minority of senators is allowed to block an issue of such importance to the largest city in New York state. I would hope that the Coalition leadership would allow a vote on this proposal,” she said.
In the Democratic-run Assembly, Speaker Sheldon Silver called Skelos’ position “unacceptable” and said the pre-K tax should be on the table.
Adding drama was political muscle flexing by de Blasio’s union allies. The state’s largest union, the 250,000-member health-care workers union, Local 1199-SEIU, said GOP senators will pay a price if they block the pre-K tax initiative.
“We will remember in the fall elections who took a stand for working families,” said Kevin Finnegan, 1199’s political director.