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It Appears De Blasio Will Get His Pre-K Funding, But Not His Tax On The Rich

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Lawmakers in Albany seem to be close to a done deal to fund Mayor Bill de Blasio's pre-kindergarten plan.

But there's one big difference from what the mayor's been demanding for months, CBS 2's Marcia Kramer reported.

No tax for you.

That's the message from Albany to Mayor de Blasio, whose 17-month campaign to tax the rich to pay for pre-kindergarten and after-school programs is about to conclude.

He gets his cherished new programs, but not the tax.

State lawmakers are nearing a deal to give the mayor $540 million for the program, Kramer reported.

There is just one tiny wrinkle, at least as far as the mayor is concerned. The Republican-controlled Senate on Thursday agreed to give the mayor cash -- the plan put forth by Gov. Andrew Cuomo – but not a tax on the rich.

The mayor, who has demanded that tax for 17 months, is apparently ready to accept the deal, as his office put out a statement trumpeting "a new consensus sweeping Albany."

No budget deal in Albany is ever final until talks wrap up sometime before the end of the month, but the money is only enough for one year of the program.

The mayor will likely have a much easier time getting the authority to tax the rich next year, which is a non-election year, Kramer reported.

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