ALBANY — William T. Stachowski, who for 30 years has seemingly relished the role of

backbencher in the State Senate, stood Thursday in the midst of 15 minutes of fame —

Albany style.

The Lake View Democrat is the central reason why the Senate left town Thursday without

approving the final components of the state budget, now three months late and counting.

Days after retreating on a threat to vote against a key appropriations bill, Stachowski

this time kept his vow not to vote for a $1.5 billion revenue-raising bill.

His demand in return for his vote: Give the State University of New York more autonomy over

its finances and, for the University at Buffalo, a boost to its long-term expansion plans.

"He's drawn a line in the sand. He doesn't want to vote for a revenue bill unless it has UB

2020 in it," Senate Deputy Majority Leader Jeff Klein, a Bronx Democrat, said of Stachowski.

"The Assembly wouldn't budge as of late [Wednesday] night, so the decision was made [by] Bill

Stachowski that we won't take up this revenue bill."

Stachowski's stance is in sharp contrast to his three decades as a senator, when he has

seldom mixed it up on the Senate floor during its more heated debates or taken the lead on the

most visible, burning policy issues of the day.

Lawmakers, staffers and lobbyists were all mouthing the name "Stachowski," making for an

unusual day, even by Albany standards. That legislators from Brooklyn and Long Island and

Manhattan and elsewhere were freely tossing out the term "UB 2020" was also strange for the

Capitol.

Stachowski's actions mean that the budget, which was due April 1, is not yet fully adopted.

Government won't shut down, because appropriation bills already have passed, and the $1.5

billion in the stalled revenue bill is but a small part of the taxes already flowing into the

state to pay for the $135.7 billion fiscal plan.

Stachowski's threat is critical because he is one of 32 Democrats who control a Senate

chamber where it takes 32 votes to pass legislation; no Republican is willing to vote for the

revenue legislation because of its provisions for big tax increases.

Paychecks are blocked

But for rank-and-file members in both chambers, the name Stachowski is not necessarily held

in high regard. With the budget not finalized, that means none of the 212 state lawmakers can

get paid because of a law that blocks their pay every week that a budget is not adopted after

the April 1 start of the fiscal year.

"I wouldn't want to be in his shoes," said one Assembly Democrat. "People want to get

paid."

The leverage that Stachowski thinks he has is limited. Assembly Democrats who oppose the

SUNY plan say the Senate's leverage argument for not passing the revenue bill is silly. They

note that New Yorkers will understand that the Assembly has done its job and passed all the

components of the budget, while the Senate left town Thursday — with no firm plans on

when it will return — without resolving how to pay for its list of added spending.

"They can say that, but [Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's] members are feeling that same

pinch that a lot of people in my conference are," Stachowski said. "I'm not independently

wealthy, and they can pass that [revenue bill] and go home and they still don't get paid.

"So the advice is: We work together and come up with something we can all pass, and we move

and everybody gets paid, and the state moves forward and SUNY has a chance to not only grow,

but to keep existing as a state university that people want to go to."

Political consequences

But Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, said the flow of paychecks does not determine policy.

"They're not going to be bought to change their fundamental positions on how they do their job

because they will receive a check today or they will receive a paycheck next week," he said.

Still, the days with pay are not going unmentioned. "Like E.T., I want to go home. I want

to get paid," Assemblyman Jose Rivera, D-Bronx, said on the Assembly floor Thursday evening to

the applause of fellow lawmakers.

Stachowski's effort is not without its political motivations. He is facing a potential

career-ending primary and, if he survives, a general election battle this fall. He has

identified the UB plan as the most important issue for Western New York this year.

For his colleagues in the Senate, the public rhetoric may be about deferring to

Stachowski's legislative demands, but privately they deeply care about holding on to the seat

in their effort to retain control of the Senate this November.

But the maneuver Stachowski is attempting may be even more politically dangerous. By

holding up passage of the state budget on a singular issue, he risks putting an even larger

political target on himself if his move fails.

The SUNY plan calls for annual tuition increases, driving the proceeds to the campuses and

making it easier for the colleges to enter into partnerships and leasing deals with private

companies.

Lawmakers who support it think that time can buy a deal in the Assembly. But many Democrats

in that chamber say that it will harm low-income students and give SUNY too free a rein over

its finances.

The issue also found itself in the governor's race Thursday. Republican candidate Rick

Lazio called for passage of the state university bill. "Democrats are playing politics" with

the issue, he said, blaming "special interests" for blocking the legislation.

The bill has its mix of powerful opponents and supporters. Some student groups support it,

others oppose it. The union representing professors opposes it because of the increases in

tuition and the feared loss of union jobs if private companies can strike deals with campuses

for various business dealings; construction workers unions back it for the jobs SUNY says it

will create through campus expansions.

Standoff with leaders

There are alternatives kicking around to a full-blown SUNY plan. One would let the idea go

forth on a pilot basis at the four SUNY centers, including UB. Another would just let it start

at UB, which originally proposed the tuition and public/private partnership idea a couple of

years ago.

Assemblyman Mark J.F. Schroeder, a Buffalo Democrat who backs the SUNY plan, said the week

has been different for Stachowski. "The senator is not a real rah-rah type of guy. He has been

part of a team within the Senate for a long, long time," Schroeder said. But he said

Stachowski this week has made it "abundantly clear" to Senate leaders that UB 2020 has to

happen.

"He doesn't pound his fist on the table, but he's making it clear that he needs to have

something for the UB 2020 piece," Schroeder said.

When will the holdout end? Will Stachowski, if the Senate returns next week or the week

after with no SUNY deal, vote for the revenue bill to complete the budget? "I can't answer

that. Right now, we're trying very hard to get this done," Stachowski said.

As for the rare spotlight on him? "I just try to do my job," he said, "and part of my job

is to carry the UB 2020 bill."