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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo's budget recommendation this year came crammed with big policy decisions on charter schools, teacher evaluations, the Dream Act and juvenile justice.
Don't expect to see all of them when the ink dries on the state's spending plan, however. That's because many of Cuomo's big initiatives got dropped during negotiations with lawmakers.
You can expect those debates to return, however, in May and June when lawmakers turn their attention from the budget to other matters.
"These issues are priorities," Cuomo said Saturday. "Whether we get them done in the budget or in the remainder of the session."
But if Cuomo couldn't convince lawmakers to pass the proposals using the leverage of the $142 billion budget, it's unclear whether lawmakers will be any more receptive before they wrap up their annual session later this spring.
"We're kicking the can down the road on several important things," said Sen. Michael Gianaris, D-Queens, who had hoped to see more robust legislative ethics reforms, a minimum wage increase and the Dream Act in the budget.
Here are a few of the big items that, barring a last minute budget shuffle, aren't likely to be in the budget, which is expected to get a vote Monday or Tuesday:
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DREAM ACT
The proposal to extend financial aid to students in the country illegally has long been a priority for Democrats, and supporters cheered Cuomo for putting it in his budget. But when Republicans in the Senate balked, Cuomo conceded it likely would have to wait for a separate vote.
Cuomo had tried to link the Dream Act to his proposal to create a tax credit for donations to public and private schools. Assembly Democrats support the Dream Act but not the tax credit; the Republican-led Senate likes the tax credit but not the Dream Act.
Advocates were unconvinced, and questioned why he linked it to the tax credit in the first place.
"He should demand that the Dream Act, and the funding required to pay for it, be in this budget," said Billy Easton, executive director of the Alliance for Quality Education, a public education advocacy group. "We have seen tough nosed negotiations in the past when he is really committed to an issue; we need to see that now."
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MINIMUM WAGE
In the lead up to his re-election last year Cuomo vowed to make raising the minimum wage a priority, and he included an increase in his budget that would take the wage to $10.50 statewide and $11.50 in New York City. The wage is now $8.75 and is set to go to $9 at year's end.
Democratic lawmakers want an even bigger increase, but they've run into opposition in the Senate, where Republicans say a big jump would hurt businesses. One potential compromise would include a higher minimum wage in exchange for a property tax relief initiative sought by Republicans.
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RAISE THE AGE
Right now, New York is one of only two states that routinely prosecutes and incarcerates 17- and 18-year-old offenders as adults. Juvenile justice reformers have long sought to change that, but the proposal known as "Raise the Age" ran into concerns among some Republicans that it would make local governments pay to expand juvenile courts and build new detention centers.
Cuomo insists the state will cover the additional costs. He's left funding for the proposal in the budget, but the policy decision of whether to increase the age of criminal responsibility is going to be left for June.
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CHARTER SCHOOLS
Cuomo had wanted lawmakers to raise the number of authorized charter schools from 460 to 560. Thousands of charter school students and parents rallied for the proposal at the state Capitol earlier this month, but in the end, the measure was dropped from the budget.
The move to authorize more charters ran into opposition from teachers' unions and many Democrats in the Assembly. Cuomo's spokeswoman said Monday that the issue could still be dealt with later this year.
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CAMPUS SEXUAL ASSAULT
The state's public colleges and universities adopted a new "Yes means Yes" policy meant to reduce campus sexual violence. Cuomo had urged lawmakers to make the initiative apply to private colleges too, but it ran into questions from lawmakers who said they feared unintended consequences.
The policy includes a new definition of consent that requires an affirmative, unambiguous agreement between partners prior to engaging in sexual activity. It also includes a new victim's bill of rights and better training for law enforcement and students.
Some lawmakers questioned whether the policy would be confusing and difficult to implement and Cuomo's administration now says it will work to resolve those concerns later this spring.
"I'm very confident that we'll be able to move forward," said Christine Quinn, former New York City Council speaker and now a Cuomo adviser. "People want to make sure we get this right."
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