Tom Precious writes in the Buffalo News - “More than four months late, the state budget was finally approved Tuesday night after a Western New York senator retreated on his vow to withhold his vote until a new financing measure was approved for the state university system.

The approximately $136 billion budget, including about $1.5 billion in new taxes and fees approved Tuesday, is for the fiscal year that started April 1.

Passage of the stalled budget bill was assured after Sen. William T. Stachowski, a Lake View Democrat, dropped his monthlong threat to hold back his crucial vote until a deal emerged on a bill he had called a must-do for the University at Buffalo and the region’s economy.

He backed down several hours after the Assembly left town following a brief, one-day session without agreeing to the state university bill.

Stachowski said his budget vote is not a retreat because Senate Democratic leaders say they have reached a “framework” of a deal with the Assembly on a state university bill. But the three-paragraph announced deal — made by the Senate shortly before the budget vote — produced no details.

“My whole point was to get them to negotiate an agreement that gets SUNY moving forward — and that’s what this does,” Stachowski said.

Democrats who control the Assembly agreed there is some sort of agreement on SUNY, but acknowledged no aspect of the issue has been resolved.

“All the details are still being worked out,” said Sisa Moyo, a spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.”

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