Assembly passes temporary appropriations extender, approves funding through April 20

The Assembly passed a temporary appropriations bill, Assembly bill A11000, to extend state funding through April 20, recording a unanimous vote of 130-0.

Mister Pratlow, the chair, told members that “the total of the appropriations to date is $7,500,000,000,” and said the current extender adds about $79,100,000 above the previous measure to ensure payment of administrative payroll and other state obligations through April 20. On the motion to advance the A calendar, Mister Fall moved the calendar earlier in the session.

Members used the floor debate to press wider questions about the budget process. Mister Palmisano criticized the repeated use of short-term extenders and late-stage proposals, calling the practice “a failure of the process” and “a failure of leadership” that undermines transparency and leaves local school districts uncertain about state aid. He said he would vote for the extender while urging colleagues to finish the full budget work.

Lawmakers also raised policy questions tied to ongoing budget negotiations. Palmisano noted press accounts about a potential new tax and asked whether the governor or administration had supplied official drafting language; the chair said there is no official language yet and the proposal remains under discussion. On climate-related policy, the chair said litigation over the state’s climate law is driving some of the conversations and that the availability of battery-powered school buses is currently limited, making timelines under discussion difficult to meet.

The clerk read the final section of the bill and recorded the vote as Ayes 130, Nays 0; the clerk then declared the bill passed. The act was announced to take effect immediately. After votes, the Assembly conducted brief housekeeping — recalling other bills from the Senate and adopting amendments — and adjourned until Friday, April 17, with a planned reconvening on Monday, April 20 at the call of the speaker.