Legislators passed the last 2011-12 budget bill just after 1 a.m. Thursday… Governor Andrew Cuomo released a video address this morning, praising lawmakers for passing the first on-time budget in five years and emphasizing the budget’s passage is “the first step on the road to economic recovery.” Michael Moran, Director of Communications for the Business Council of New York State, says the completed budget sends a very important message to business leaders. E.J. McMahon, Senior Fellow with the Manhattan Institute’s Empire Center for Public Policy, argues that passing a budget on time after decades of mostly late passages doesn’t mean much.

Activists played a role in this year’s budget drama, promising a “Wisconsin-type protest.” Hundreds of demonstrators gathered inside the Capitol on Wednesday, demanding more school aid, no cuts to health care, and higher taxes on the wealthy. McMahon says that while the protesters got a lot of media attention, he doesn’t think they actually stand for the majority of New Yorkers. Some of the activists think the day-long protests were just small battles in what is likely to become a much longer fight…..

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