State Senate Republicans voted to steer nearly $10 million in extra school funding to GOP districts yesterday in a surprise move Democrats labeled “old Albany at its worst.”
The Democrats labeled the spending as pork — which Gov. Cuomo and legislative leaders had vowed would not be in the state budget.
Senate Democratic spokesman Mike Murphy called the move a “sneak” attack.
But Senate Finance Committee Chairman John DeFrancisco (R-Syracuse) said the money had originally been set aside last year, but was delayed when the Assembly failed to pass a required joint resolution.
He said this year’s budget allowed the Senate to allocate its share of so-called “bullet aid” without Assembly approval, and noted Senate Democrats steered similar aid to schools in their districts when they held the majority in 2010.