This week from Albany: Bag fee decision, state budget

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — This week in New York state government news, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to decide whether the state should block New York City's impending fee on non-reusable shopping bags and lawmakers take a close look at the state budget.

[...] the Legislature will intensify its scrutiny of Cuomo's $152 billion state budget proposal with a week of hearings in Albany dedicated to examining spending on schools, environmental protection and transportation.

Lawmakers have scheduled a full week of hearings on Cuomo's budget proposal, a sign that deliberations on the state spending plan are intensifying as the state's April 1 fiscal new year approaches.

Expect lots of questions from lawmakers about how state education dollars are split up, and whether the state is doing enough to help at-risk students.

On the environment, lawmakers are likely to question how the administration plans to use the $2 billion for pipes and clean water programs that Cuomo has proposed to spend over five years.