Rachel Silberstein is reporting for the Times Union New York lawmakers and environmental groups are pushing for an expansion of the state's "bottle bill" as part of the state budget next year. Advocates March 25, released a support letter for expanding New York's Bottle Deposit Law to include most non-carbonated beverages, such as wine, liquor and cider. "New York's bottle bill is long overdue for an expansion given the growing plastic and glass pollution crisis we face," Assemblymember Pat Fahy said. "This will save our local governments money by allowing them to include glass in their recycling streams, and help reduce curbside-litter in communities throughout the state." The Albany Democrat is a co-sponsor of one expansion measure. Advocates say the state's current law, enacted in 1982, has reduced litter by 70 percent. Neither legislative house included the bottle bill expansion in their budget proposal. The Assembly's position has generally been that policy matters should be tackled outside of the state's closed-door budget discussions, however, the governor thinks the topic should be tackled as part of the budget process. Read the full story in the Times Union.