De Blasio pushes NY lawmakers for pre-k plan
Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio took another step Monday to push lawmakers to pass his universal pre-kindergarten plan and said that a full-on campaign on the issue was imminent.
De Blasio, a Democrat, wants to fund the pre-kindergarten and after-school programs for all middle school students with a tax hike on the wealthiest New Yorkers. That tax hike can only be passed by the state Legislature and some lawmakers in Albany have expressed reluctance to raise rates.
The mayor-elect, who takes office Jan. 1, met with some Democratic members of the state Assembly, including speaker Sheldon Silver, and said his plan was “warmly received.”