Despite the power struggle that has gridlocked the state Senate for the past two weeks, the Assembly has quietly passed hundreds of bills as this year’s legislative session winds down.

Whether any ever become law remains a question until senators resolve their conflicts and decide what they’ll vote to send to Gov. David Paterson.

Measures recently approved in the Assembly would authorize local governments, including New York City’s, to raise municipal taxes needed for budgets due as early as July 1. Others would extend mayoral control of New York City schools and continue lower-cost energy to companies in exchange for job growth.

A new piece of legislation would outlaw the use of portable electronic devices to text, play games or surf the Web while driving. Another would fund energy-saving home and business retrofits.

On Monday, the Assembly voted to forgive schools any days missed because of the swine flu outbreak, which has hospitalized hundreds of children in the state. A companion bill is pending in the Senate.

State law requires schools to be in session for at least 180 days to qualify for state aid, a large portion of most school districts’ budgets. The legislation would prevent the loss of aid for districts that closed schools because of the swine flu, or H1N1, epidemic, Democratic Speaker Sheldon Silver said.

“During the latter part of this school year, several schools have been temporarily closed due to the H1N1 virus, in order to protect the health, safety and well-being of staff and students,” said Silver, of Manhattan.

The state Department of Health has reported more than 1,750 lab-confirmed swine flu cases statewide, most in New York City. At least 16 New Yorkers have been killed by the virus. On Saturday, Buffalo school officials said a middle schooler had died of it.

Assemblyman Brian Kolb, who heads the chamber’s Republican minority, said he has been communicating regularly with Silver and they haven’t been affected by the fight between Senate Republicans and Democrats.

“But that will have an impact if the Senate doesn’t start passing bills,” said Kolb, of Canandaigua. “That will affect our residents.”

The state’s senators on Monday were discussing a temporary power sharing arrangement. The deal would rotate presidents of the Senate and create two equal floor leaders instead of one majority leader.

Assembly Democratic Majority Leader Ronald Canestrari said his chamber, which already has passed more than 1,000 bills this year, including 317 last week, hoped to finish Monday, the last day of the scheduled session.

Under legislation authorizing the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to create a green-jobs program, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, an effort in 10 Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to reduce emissions, would provide $112 million for residential and small business energy-efficiency projects. At least 50 percent of capital, using a revolving loan fund and federal stimulus money, would go to retrofitting homes with green technology.

Drivers could face fines up to $150 for using handheld devices or laptops to send text messages or read, view or transmit images or data. Fines could be imposed only as a secondary offense after a driver is pulled over for breaking another law. It’s already illegal in the state to talk on a cell phone while driving.

That legislation also would set additional restrictions on junior drivers, requiring each of them to hold a learner’s permit for at least six months with 50 hours of supervised driving.

Source: AP