19 days and still no action on State Senate gridlock
Published: June 27, 2009, 12:30 am
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ALBANY — State senators met Friday for nine minutes, taking up only one item of business: a moment of silence honoring Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. (Ed McMahon was not mentioned).
Other than that, the impasse in the Capitol continued for a 19th straight day.
Behind closed doors, deals were being furiously offered back and forth while Democrats battling each other over deals their leaders might have been trying to strike with Republicans.
Gov. David A. Paterson, meanwhile, issued new threats aimed at bringing senators back to the chamber for real.
Paterson, who plays a limited role in the internal fight of a separate branch of government, made a new court filing and sent word that he will not release Senate pork barrel funds until the dispute is resolved.
The governor’s pork chop, however, has its limits. The Senate was allotted $85 million this year for what lawmakers like to call member items, such as senior centers, museums, services for poor people and youth sports leagues. But that money was to have been divvied up June 8. The coup that has resulted in gridlock occurred right before that vote was to be taken, so none of that money is subject to Paterson’s new edict.
That leaves the governor able to freeze a modest $3.1 million from previous years’ budgets. But Friday night his administration refused to release the list of projects now on hold and would not say whether the action was hitting homeless shelters, soccer clubs, arts groups or whatever.
The decision left the administration appearing to want to look decisive without suffering the potential fallout from freezing funding for some needy group that relies on state money.
State Comptroller Thomas P. Di- Napoli said Friday he backs Paterson’s request to withhold payments to senators for their travel and daily expenses while in Albany.
Negotiators hit roadblocks Friday trying to resolve the dispute. Sen. Pedro Espada, D-Bronx, who joined with 30 Republicans in the June 8 coup, claims the top title of Senate president, with Sen. Dean G. Skelos, a Rockville Centre Republican, holding the majority leader position.
But with the chamber split 31-31, Democrats want a power-sharing agreement that gives them titles, access to the same amount of money for staff and pork as the GOP-led faction, equal say over what bills are considered and a share of committee chairmanships.
But while the GOP faction is holding together, the Democratic side has been having major problems. Some lawmakers, sources say, are concerned about losing plumb committee assignments — which carry stipends that supplant their $79,500 salaries — or spacious offices they acquired when the Democrats took control of the Senate in January.
A number of them insist they don’t want any deal that leaves Espada as Senate president.
The state faces a deadline Tuesday night, when, without action, dozens of laws now on the books will expire. They include a low-cost power program for hundreds of companies and sales tax surcharges for counties, such as Niagara and Cattaraugus counties.
Friday evening, a state judge ordered lawyers for the Senate into court Monday afternoon for a hearing on a case brought by Paterson, who contends the Senate—by holding separate Democratic and Republican sessions without a quorum — is violating the governor’s constitutional powers to call a special session.
tprecious@buffnews.com
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