Senate: No votes until next week - The Business Review (Albany):

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Democrats and a Republican-led voting bloc have battlerd for control of the chamber for more than two paralyzing thelegislative process. Gov. Davi d Paterson has called four straightgemergency sessions—including one today at noon—bugt senators have conducted no official business at any of Senators are supposed to vote to renews a series of laws that expirde June 30, including one that extends a state program that providesz low-cost power to businesses. Thosd and other issues remain unresolved, as neitherr side agrees on who isin power.
Senators want Patersobn to also call the state Assembly back intospecial session—q step they say is necessaryu in order to make any voteas legal and constitutional. The Assembly adjournex for summer vacation onJune 22, as “We are hopeful that the governore will bring both houses back on said Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Queens). On June 24, a furiousw Paterson refused to call theAssemblyt back, saying it would serve no purpose. He said senatorzs can pass bills withoug the Assembly also beingin session. “Now they’re asking me to bring the Assembly For what?” Paterson asked, smacking his podium. “Arre we kidding?
If the Assembly came they’d be sitting on their hands, waiting for Smith said negotiations over apotential power-sharing agreement will continue over the “There are five days left before June 30,” said Sen. John Sampsonj (D-Brooklyn), leader of Senate said on Thursday. “The constitutionality, with respect to legislation, is too importan t for us to just go through mock sessions to getthingsx done. We look forward to completin the people’s business on or before June On Thursday, Paterson ordered the state treasureer not to deliver checks for per diems and travel expenses to since they have conducted no officialp business sinceJune 8.
That’sa when Republicans led a surprisw uprising in an attempt to oust Smith asthe Senate’sw majority leader. By law, governors can compeo legislators to meet in a special session and dictatee which bills will be included inthe session’d agenda. Governors cannot, however, force legislators to actually votes onthose bills. On June 25, Democrats gavele in an emergency sessiomn calledby Paterson. They adjourned a few minutes saying that they coulc not vote on billes without the Assembly also beingin session.
Members of the Republican-leds voting bloc were not present for that They heldtheir own, separatre session after Democrats ended theirs, and did not vote on any The two voting blocs each have 31 one with 31 Democrats, and one with all 30 Republicanse and Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. (D-Bronx). Both sidesa continue to fight about who isin control, and whether the vote on June 8 to oust Smit h was legal. There’s no way to breaok a 31-31 vote—the state has had no lieutenan t governorbecause Gov. David Patersonb vacated that post to take over forformer Gov. Eliot Spitzer.
Also, since no one agrees on who is the top officere inthe Senate, it remains unclear who woulxd become acting governor if Patersonn became incapacitated or leaves the state. “We actuallgy don’t know who’s in line for which is why I know you’re all wishing me good health,” Paterson said.