Plan for Albany session facing friction
ALBANY — Gov. David Paterson is calling back the Legislature on Tuesday to address the state budget gap, and he also put legislation on same-sex marriage, reforms of public authorities and a government spending cap on the agenda.
But the special session is getting pushback from the Senate Democratic majority, which indicated Thursday that members of the conference would not attend a speech Paterson plans to give Monday to a joint session of the Legislature.
“If we were going to start the DRP (deficit reduction plan) process on Monday, I’m there,” said Senate Deputy Majority Leader Jeff Klein, D-Bronx. “But I don’t see the reason why we have to come back and listen to a speech. The time for speeches are over. We need action.”
Selvena Brooks, spokeswoman for Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson, D-Brooklyn, said “the Senate will return to Albany once they have an agreement” on the budget cuts. But some Senate Democrats said they plan to attend and were unaware that colleagues were not.
Paterson wants lawmakers to close a $3.2 billion mid-year budget gap. He wants to cut $686 million to schools and about $470 million to health care programs.
But Senate Democrats plan to put out their own proposal in the coming days that limits the cuts. Senate Education Committee chairwoman Suzi Oppenheimer, D-Mamaroneck, Westchester County, said she and her colleagues oppose cuts to education in the middle of the school year.
“We simply cannot cut $700 million mid-year from school aid because classes are in progress, and mid-year cuts simply create chaos,” she said.
She said the Democratic governor should delay the session for a few days in order to negotiate a compromise. Senate Democrats finished budget hearings Thursday, with one in Westchester County.
The disagreements put in doubt whether lawmakers and Paterson could reach a budget deal and vote on it Tuesday.
Lawmakers are required to attend an extraordinary session called by a governor, but they are not required to act on any legislation. And his call to speak before the Legislature to discuss the state’s fiscal problems is not mandatory, though the other conferences in the Assembly and Senate plan to attend. Some legislators will be Puerto Rico for an annual conference.
Republicans knocked Senate Democrats if they skip the speech. “They’re showing their dysfunction, and quite frankly, they are not being very respectful,” said Sen. Thomas Libous, R-Binghamton.
Paterson expressed dismay Thursday morning on a New York City radio show over the reluctance of lawmakers to attend the speech. “I’m getting some pushback about even being allowed to speak before my colleagues. Now if this was Bosnia or in the middle of Tehran, maybe I would understand why this is happening. But this is New York state and the United States of America.”
