ALBANY, NY (WENY)--THREE WEEKS PAST IT’S ORIGINAL DEADLINE, THE FINAL BUDGET PLAN MAKES IT WAY TOWARDS THE FINISH LINE IN ALBANY.  

SOME LEGISLATIVE LEADERS SAId THEY FEEL THE BUDGET OVERALL IS A GOOD FINAL PRODUCT DESPITE FACING MANY CHALLENGES SUCH AS COMING TO AN AGREEMENT ON A HOUSING DEAL.  

“I think that ultimately, we came up with a product that again reflects our values and also addresses the issues that we know people care about,” said Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-35th Senate District).

BUT SOME LAWMAKERS ACROSS THE AIslE DISAGREE—EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT AN $8 BILLION INCREASE IN SPENDING COMPARED TO LAST YEAR’S BUDGET.  

“What we have here in New York is runaway spending and the only result of that is that more New Yorkers are going to be forced to run away from New York,” said Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-24th Senate District).

THE FINAL BUDGET PLAN THIS YEAR TOTALS A LITTLE MORE THAN $237 BILLION--$4 BILLION MORE THAN WHAT THE GOVERNOR ORIGINALLY PROPOSED.  

IT INCLUDES FUNDING TO ADDRESS A VARIETY OF AREAS INCLUDING THE MIGRANT CRISIS, THE HOUSING STOCK AND TENANT PROTECTIONS, PUBLIC SAFETY AND RETAIL THEFT, AND MORE.  

EACH YEAR LAWMAKERS WORK TO PASS TEN BUDGET BILLS THAT MAKE UP THE FINAL BUDGET PLAN.  

LAWMAKERS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE finish voting LATE INTO Friday EVENING AND through the weekend.