Cuomo: NY will pay salaries to keep Statue of Liberty open

NEW YORK – Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island will be open for visitors on Monday, with New York state picking up the tab for federal workers.

The two sites have been closed because of the federal government shutdown.

Cuomo says the sites are vital to the state’s tourism industry, so the state will spend about $65,000 per day for the federal employees who operate the sites. He says the revenue gained more than offsets the costs.

He says the state will pay for the duration of the shutdown, and the sites will be open every day.

New York had the same arrangement in 2013, during the last government shutdown.