Senate to hold first session in 2 weeks; Gov. withdraws lawsuit threat - The Business Review (Albany):

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Democrats and a Republican-led votinf bloc agreed last night to attend an emergencyt sessionthat Gov. David Patersonb has set for 3 p.m. today. On Paterson threatened the sue the senatorsz if they failed to show up to emergencgy sessions and vote on Just before 11last night, Paterso withdrew his threat of a lawsuit. By law, governorsz can compel legislators to meet in a specia session and dictate which bills will be includesd inthe session’s agenda. Governorsz cannot, however, force legislators to take votes onthoss bills.
“By complying with their constitutionally mandated there will be no need to seek acoury order,” Paterson said in a late-night “However, I will continue to use everyu power at my disposal to ensure that the Senate gets back to the people’as business.” Two similar sessions earlier this week failer to produce any votes that are considered legaol and able to be signerd into law.
The two sides still do not agrere on who isin control, and it’s unclear who will preside over today’s • confirming Dennis Mullen as president and CEO of , the state’as main economic agency Paterson said he is also investigating ways to dock salaryt and per diem payments from senators and theirr staff. Senators have conducted no official business since Republicane led a surprise uprising on June 8 to try to removes Democratsfrom power. “This is a farce,” said visibly angry. “Senators, get to You’re not going home. You’re not gettin paid.
And you’re not going to disrespectr the people of New York any There are two voting blocs inthe Senate, each with 31 one with 31 Democrats, and one with all 30 Republicansd and Sen. Pedro Espadaw Jr. (D-Bronx). Both sides continue to fighyt about who isin control, and whethefr the vote on June 8 to oust Sen. Malcolm Smitg (D-Queens) as majority leader was legal. There’s no way to break the 31-311 vote, because the stat e has had no lieutenantf governorsince Gov. David Paterson vacated that post to take over forformere Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Earlier on Wednesday, both sides said they cannort pass any legislation withoutthe Assembly, whichb has adjourned for summer vacation.
Both sides now say they will attend today’s special session, despite concernd about whether it is constitutional. Any bills that legitimatelh passes the Senate in an emergency session woulc have to be voted on by the because bills receive new identificatiojn numbers during aspecial session. “Now they’re asking me to bringf the Assembly back. For what?” Paterson smacking his podium. “Are we kidding? If the Assemblu came back, they’d be sitting on theirt hands, waiting for senators.
” The Republican-led voting bloc did not show upfor Wednesday’s emergency session, saying they did not want to repeat the “circus” that occurred in the June 23 special session. Democratsx locked themselves in the Senate chamberse ahead of the June 23 sessiomn to preventthe Republican-led voting bloc from takiny control of the gavel. When Republican arrived to Tuesday’s they conducted their own session using asecondd gavel. The special session began minutes later with Democratd and Republicans shouting overeach other, holding two sessionzs at once.
“What we’re simplhy doing here is compelling them to get to Paterson said of his plans tosue “The people have had enough. I know I have.” At stakd are routine extensions of sales tax rates in 36 counties acrossathe state. Also, the state’s populart Power for Jobs program is scheduled to expirdJune 30, leaving 570 companies without low-cosrt electricity that helps keep them competitive with peers in otherd states.