Karen DeWitt

Gov. David Paterson delivered 6,681 veto messages to the legislature on Wednesday, slashing over $500 million in spending out of the state budget.

Gov. David Paterson has started the lengthy process of vetoing the nearly 6,900 line items that the legislature added to their budget bills and has told them, in no uncertain terms, that he’s done negotiating.

New York Governor David Paterson sat down with WNYC's Karen DeWitt to discuss the state's delayed budget, his lobbying trip to Washington and how he expects to actually sign 6,900 vetoes of the legislature's proposed member items.

Gov. David Paterson sat down with WNYC's Karen DeWitt to discuss the state's delayed budget, his lobbying trip to Washington and how he expects to actually sign 6,900 vetoes of the legislature's proposed member items.

New York Gov. David Paterson has vetoed over $400 million in additional spending out of the legislature’s budget, saying lawmakers had engaged in “gimmicks” and “chicanery.”

Albany, NY —

Governor Paterson forced state lawmakers to come to the Capitol for a rare Sunday evening special session, but he could not make them vote on his budget proposals to end a nearly three-month stand off. Lawmakers say they will vote on their own budget plan today, and the governor says he will veto any changes to his plan.

New York, NY —

On Monday evening, New York Gov. David Paterson vetoed over $400 million in additional spending out of the legislature’s budget, saying lawmakers had engaged in “gimmicks” and “chicanery.”

Paterson wasted no time, wielding his veto stamp just hours after the legislature passed its own version of ...

Albany, NY —

The state’s protracted budget process appears to be drawing to a close, and Gov. David Paterson and legislative leaders have reverted to long-time Albany tradition. They are hashing out the most controversial portions, like new taxes, behind closed doors in three-men-in-a-room leaders meetings.

A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday could impact the prison sentence for New York’s former state Senate Majority Leader, Joe Bruno.

Albany, NY —

A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday could impact the prison sentence for New York’s former state Senate Majority Leader, Joe Bruno.

The Supreme Court threw out two convictions under the federal theft of honest services law, one concerning former Enron executive Jeffrey Skilling, saying the ...

Gov. David Paterson once again raised the specter of a government shutdown following a private meeting with legislative leaders Tuesday, saying he feared lawmakers were not taking his June 28 budget deadline seriously enough.

The New York State Legislature has approved a weekly emergency spending bill to keep the government running.

Albany, NY —

The New York State Legislature has approved a weekly emergency spending bill to keep the government running. It includes, at the direction of Gov. David Paterson, new taxes on cigarettes and the authorization to collect taxes on tobacco sold to non-Indians on tribal lands.

New York, NY —

Gov. David Paterson plans to put new taxes on tobacco products into his latest budget extender, due to be voted on Monday.

Paterson’s budget director, Robert Megna, says the governor will ask the legislature to raise the tax on cigarettes by another $1.60 per pack, and ...

Gov. David Paterson’s bold initiative to include spending cuts and other budget items in his weekly emergency extenders has paid off, so far. He’s forced legislators to either approve his plans or risk shutting down the government altogether.

Albany, NY —

Gov. David Paterson has set a date for the late state budget to get done: June 28. He says if lawmakers don’t agree by then, he’ll force them to adopt the remainder of his spending plan, with school aid cuts and new taxes, in an emergency spending bill.

Gov. David Paterson says he hopes to advance the state budget and avoid another government shutdown show down by releasing more segments of his budget later this week and asking the legislature to approve them before Friday.

The New York Legislature passed an emergency spending bill Monday night that gives the state enough money to keep running - and averted a government shutdown.

Republican senators say government will not be shut down when the state’s temporary budget extenders expire later today, and indicate that they will provide enough votes to help Democrats keep things running.

Republican senators say government will not be shut down when the state’s temporary budget extenders expire later today, and indicate that they will provide enough votes to help Democrats keep things running.