ALBANY – With budget negotiations underway in the state capital, legislators in the Senate are gaining traction for a proposal that would, among other things, restore school funding and throw more money into infrastructure than was put forward in the governor’s executive budget proposal.

The senate on Thursday passed its “Brighter Future” budget proposal to counter Governor Andrew Cuomo’s executive budget that was pitched to the public in January. Through cuts and trade-offs, the proposal would give more money back to property taxpayers, increase funding for public schools, make road and bridge repair a priority, and further invest in economic development.

According to State Senator Tom Libous (R-52nd District), the proposal also makes good on a promise to tighten state spending by restricting it to 2 percent.

“In the last four years, we’ve had four on-time budgets,” Libous stated. “I’m going for five. But making sure the Southern Tier gets our fair share in the final budget is my priority. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be working with the Governor and Assembly to make sure we do.”