Senator Michael Balboni, citing the need to restore public confidence in New York's budget-making process, renewed the Senate's call for meaningful reform that ends budget delays and promotes fiscal stability for the state. Balboni said the reintroduction of the Senate's budget reform plan, which calls for reshaping the state's budget-making process, including shifting the start of the state fiscal year, requiring joint revenue forecasting and imposing a "default" budget as a back up to ensure a spending plan, is in place by the deadline.

"This plan is a well-conceived strategy that will end late budgets and enhance our state's financial health by embracing structural reforms that will pay dividends to state taxpayers for years to come," he said.

The Senate's eight-point plan would include:

* Budget Requests (Oct. 15) - requires agencies to submit individual preliminary budget to the Legislature at the same time they are forwarded to the governor, providing additional time for study and review;

* "Fast Start," Timely Finish (Nov. 15) - requires commencement of three-way discussions between the Senate, Assembly and governor to project expenditures for Medicaid, public assistance, school aid and other costs as well as begin the process of estimating tax and other revenues for the coming year;

* Early Budget Submission (Jan. 15) - requires earlier submission of the Executive Budget and shortens the amendment period from 30 days to 15 days to allow additional time for legislative review;

* Consensus Revenue Forecasts (Mar. 1) - requires three-way agreement by March 1 on revenues for the new fiscal year, clearing a major stumbling block for an on-time budget. If the Legislature and Executive fail to agree on a forecast the independently elected comptroller is charged with providing a binding forecast of tax, lottery and fee revenues within five days;

* Budget Conference Committees (Mar. 16) - requires General Conference Committee to establish spending parameters for individual service areas. Individual conference committees would negotiate budgets for assigned agencies;

* New Start of Fiscal Year (May 1) - the start of the fiscal year would move from April 1 to May 1 to provide adequate time for analysis and discussion of budget proposals. New York currently has the shortest time frame for legislative budget deliberations of the largest states in the nation;

* Default Budget (May 1) - requires that in the absence of an agreed-to budget, the prior year's plan would remain in place after May 1 and spending would be capped at prior year levels; and

* Structural Reforms/Reserve Fund - requires three-year projection of the financial impact of any changes to the Executive Budget by individual conference committees. Additionally, a reserve fund equal to five percent of all state funds would be created to cushion unexpected economic downturns and natural disasters. Such a fund, if it were in place today, would require reserves of approximately $2.8 billion or four times the current requirement.

The Senate has passed Senator Michael Balboni's "Anti-Weapons of Mass Destruction Act" aimed at protecting the public against acts of terrorism. The bill would make it a felony under New York State law to use, manufacture or possess any biological, chemical or nuclear agent that could cause mass destruction.

"Unlike conventional weapons, agents of mass destruction in even the smallest amounts can wreak incalculable havoc and death," Balboni said. "Though no one in New York is known to have died or been injured because of chemical or biological agents, their potential to paralyze our cities warrants legislative action to deal with the eventuality."

Balboni noted that the Anthrax at the Hempstead and Mineola courthouses in May 1999 highlighted the vulnerability of communities to biological weapons. Just the threat of Anthrax exposure was enough to destabilize two courthouse complexes, snarl traffic for miles and incite public fear.

The provisions of the legislation would create the felony crime of possessing, manufacturing or using weapons of mass destruction punishable by up to 25 years in prison. In addition, the bill would make it a crime for a person having "reasonable access" to these agents to threaten another individual within or outside of New York State. Any threats or attacks against water supplies, food sources and agriculture would also be considered a felony.

During his bill debate on the Senate floor Jan. 23, Balboni noted how the release of nerve gas in a Tokyo subway in 1995 killed 12 people and injured more than 5,000. The relative ease of transporting and deploying agents of mass destruction (such as Anthrax, ricin, sarin and the ebola virus) worries law enforcement and emergency management personnel who point out that currently there are no statutes in place in New York law to deal with such a threat.

"Employing weapons of mass destruction is an act of terrorism which threatens our safety and security. Whether the threat comes from outside our nation's borders or from within our own state, law enforcement must be given the authority to counter terrorist activity before catastrophe strikes."

State Senator Michael Balboni said there is over %850,000 in state support to fund various primary care initiatives and projects in Nassau County in an effort to improve access to quality, affordable health care services. The funding, part of more than $28 million awarded statewide, is being provided through the Primary Care Initiative (PCI) program, which assists hospitals, diagnostic and treatment centers and private practitioners in expanding preventative and primary care services for low income New Yorkers and families in under-served areas.

"Providing quality preventative and primary care services is essential to the health and well-being of New York's neediest populations," Balboni said. "These grants and the important initiatives they will fund will help our health care providers make health care more accessible and affordable for Nassau County residents."

Specifically, the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System has been awarded $400,000 and the Nassau County Department of Health will receive $463,000.

The PCI funds, which are provided under the Health Care Reform Act of 1996, will support a variety of health care initiatives. Specific projects will include health care facility renovations, additional bilingual staffing, dental health projects, asthma treatment projects, migrant health care, practitioner recruitment, computer system enhancements and mobile health units.

State Health Commissioner Antonia C. Novello said, "Governor Pataki and I believe that New Yorkers deserve the best health care in the nation and that our neediest families should be at the top of the list for care. The governor's commitment is shown not only by the important programs the state has implemented but also by the amount of support the state is providing."