ALBANY — Hispanic Democrats are vowing to oppose Gov. Cuomo’s proposed new budget unless he includes $25 million in first-time “Dream Act’’ funding to help illegal aliens attend college, The Post has learned.
The threat, from more than a dozen members of the Legislature’s Black, Puerto Rican and Hispanic Caucus, comes as the Assembly’s Democrats have decided to boost the state’s Tuition Assistance Program by $25 million to provide Dream Act’ funding, sources said.
The increase would come in the Assembly’s version of a proposed new budget, which is subject to negotiations with the Senate and Cuomo.
“The Hispanic members are making it clear that they will vote against Cuomo’s budget unless it contains the $25 million in ‘Dream Act’ funding,’’ an Assembly insider told The Post.
While Hispanic lawmakers, all Democrats, don’t have the votes to block Cuomo’s budget, their opposition would be a significant embarrassment to the governor as he seeks reelection this year.
The Assembly has already voted to approve the Dream Act — a state version of the federal proposal to allow certain illegal aliens to gain access to a variety of government programs — but it is opposed by Senate Republicans, who control that house in coalition with a small group of Democrats.
While Cuomo recently endorsed the Dream Act,’ his proposed $137.2 billion state budget contained no money to fund it.