New York State Capitol (Enterprise photo — Andy Flynn)

ALBANY — Legislators at the New York State Capitol began voting on bills for the late state budget on Thursday and were still voting on them as of press time Friday evening. They expected that a fiscal plan would be finalized by this morning.

Assemblyman Billy Jones, D-Chateaugay Lake, said shortly before 9 a.m. Friday that the Assembly had passed four of nine budget bills, and voting should be complete by the next morning.

he added.

On Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that she and legislative leaders had worked out a on key priorities for the Fiscal Year 2025 state budget, which was estimated at $237 billion at the time.

Hochul said in a statement.

The announcement sounded as though a budget — which was supposed to be signed by April 1, the beginning of the state’s fiscal year — was a done deal. But it wasn’t. The governor’s press release on the added,

Jones said.

On Thursday, legislators passed a bill that included a measure to authorize the closure of up to five state prisons within 90 days, according to a report by New York State Capitol Correspondent Karen DeWitt, of the New York Public News Network. The list of state prisons that could be closed has not been released.

Local officials in the Tri-Lakes recently sent a letter to the governor asking that the Adirondack Correctional Facility in Ray Brook be kept off the closure list. The letter was co-signed by North Elba town Supervisor Derek Doty, St. Armand town Supervisor Davina Thurston, Harrietstown town Supervisor Jordanna Mallach and Saranac Lake village Mayor Jimmy Williams.

Jones said in a statement Monday.

On Thursday, Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, voted against the Public Protection and General Government Bill (S.8305-C) state budget bill and a measure in it that authorized the closure of up to five correctional facilities in New York. During debate on the bill, Stec said he that would eliminate the closure provision, but the amendment was defeated by Democrats.

Stec said in a statement.

Stec also called the state’s record on closing prisons and said many of the dormant buildings

Camp Gabriels, for example, has been empty since the former minimum security correctional facility closed in 2009.

Stec said in a statement.

New York has closed 24 state correctional facilities since 2011, including eight in the North Country.

Asked about whether he feels the state budget process is dysfunctional this year, Jones said, The FY2024 budget spending plan was more than a month late; Hochul signed the $229 billion spending plan on May 3 last year.

Jones said, adding that there is a sense of urgency to get a budget passed, as local school districts need their state aid numbers to finalized their own budgets. May 21 is the annual budget vote for school districts in New York.

Assemblyman Matt Simpson, R-Horicon, issued a statement Thursday saying that the lack of transparency in the state’s budget process

he said.

Thursday’s votes, according to DeWitt, were aimed at cracking down on crimes — hate crimes, retail theft and illegal cannabis shops.