After receiving thousands of faxes and phone calls from union activists, state lawmakers delivered in a big way - approving more than $2 billion in education and health care aid restorations and heading for a possible veto showdown with Gov. George Pataki.

"The Legislature has taken back its rightful role in the budget process," said New York State United Teachers Executive Vice President Alan Lubin. "We commend lawmakers for their courage and their action to protect many important education and health care programs. The Legislature's budget is infinitely better than the governor's."

Since Pataki is likely to veto the budget bills, a legislative override would be necessary for the restorations to become law.

The 2003-04 legislative budget restores more than $1 billion in state aid for education. In January, Pataki proposed a $1.2 billion reduction, or 8.5 percent cut, in general operation aid for schools. After the Legislature's restorations, overall school aid would be about 1.3 percent less than last year. For district-specific information, check NYSUT's Web site, www.nysut.org.

The legislative budget restores funding for key union-backed items, including:

• $204.6 million for universal pre-kindergarten;
• $139.9 million for early grade class-size reduction aid;
• $134.4 million for BOCES aid (a 3.6 percent increase) and rejects the elimination of BOCES aid as a separate category;
• $21 million more for teacher center funding (for a total of $31 million);
• $5.6 million for full-day kindergarten;
• $2.3 million for Teacher Mentor/Intern program for a total of $4 million;
• $44.9 million more for Teacher Support Aid (to this year's $67.5 million);
• $93 million more (9.3 percent increase) in transportation aid;
• $56 million in additional building aid, rejecting all the governor's building aid proposals;
• fully restored special education aid;

The Legislature denied a proposed cap on non-senior citizen STAR tax breaks, as well as a cap on school budget growth.

The legislation denies many changes proposed for the State Education Department and giving the governor more control over Regents appointments.

In a move that will surely anger the governor, a $6 million Charter School Stimulus Fund proposed by the governor was axed by the Legislature.

For higher ed, the Legislature restored $410 million in aid over the academic year and lowered the tuition increase Pataki wanted.

At the union's urging, lawmakers rejected the governor's plan to privatize SUNY hospitals. State aid for private colleges, known as Bundy aid, was fully restored.

Legislative additions for the State and City University systems include: full restoration of the proposed $345 per student cut in community college state aid; $262 million in Tuition Assistance Program funding; and other additions to aid disadvantaged students at SUNY and CUNY.

As New York Teacher went to press, Pataki continued to blast the Legislature as irresponsible and threatened a veto.

"The Legislature, which showed such courage by overriding the governor to postpone the school budget vote until June 3, may have to step up again," Lubin said. "Both houses need to do whatever it takes to get a budget in place in time for the new school budget voting day."

- Sylvia Saunders