State Senate OKs Cuomo property tax cap

The State Senate voted 45 to 17 yesterday in favor of the property tax cap bill Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed last week, and now the spotlight is shifting to the Assembly, where support for the measure is less than assured, according to the New York Times. Whereas Senate approval was expected — the chamber has passed limits on property taxes in recent years under both Democratic and Republican majorities — several Democratic Assembly members haven’t been as enthusiastic thus far, and were reportedly offended that Cuomo sprung the bill upon them with no advance warning last Friday to get it passed before today’s release of his executive budget. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said he hadn’t yet read Cuomo’s bill, but was cautious in his support. “I believe we will come to a common ground with the governor and the Senate on an appropriate property tax cap,” he said. [NYT]