Assembly passes plan to reduce deficit

The State Assembly worked late into the night and even into Wednesday morning to pass a $2.8 billion deficit reduction package.

The vote came around 3am, about two hours after they also voted to pass the marriage equality act.

A Senate vote on both issues is expected late Wednesday morning.

Senator Antoine Thompson said, "It's not easy because submit ideas and recommendations and you gotta get all three sides to agree on these revenue or cost cutting ideas and that's not always easy but we're getting it done."

Tuesday, Governor David Paterson said the legislature's $2.8 billion "solution" was still $400 million light.

Assemblyman Jack Quinn, Jr. said, "Well I gotta tell ya, from my perspective I agree with him. If all we're going to do is beg borrow and steal and not make any real cuts and put off what should have been done today."

"Clearly there's $400 million out there that is the difference between what apparently is the plan that we'll get and the plan that we needed," said Paterson.

Time is ticking away. A frustrated governor says he'll be forced to hold back payments to schools, hospitals and nursing homes, unless lawmakers get real.

"We have continued to use one shots and other gimmicks and taxes and borrowing, in place of what really should have been responsible budget management," said Paterson.

Senator Antoine Thompson talked to News 4 while he was driving back to Albany Tuesday from a fundraiser here in Buffalo.

He assured News 4 that he would have made it back in time for a senate vote Tuesday night, but as it turned out, the senate delayed a vote until Wednesday morning.