Saying that the only deal the fractured New York State senators are working on “is the weekend,” Governor David Paterson announced today that he has stopped paying lawmakers’ member items and is going to court to force them to get back to work.

At a news conference this afternoon, Paterson said the issues affecting the state must be addressed and he will go to court to end the ongoing power struggle.

He said none of the extraordinary sessions held in the past week were legal because there was no quorum.

“They’re going to stay here every day and don’t be fooled; they’re only here, they’re only talking because I keep calling special sessions,” said the governor. “They’re going to blame it on me. But believe me, I didn’t get to this until two weeks after they didn’t act.”

The court appearance should be at some point this afternoon.

Lawmakers in Albany claim that they are closing in on a deal that would end the nearly three-week stalemate in the Senate. Leaders from both parties are said to be on the verge of an agreement, with normal legislative business possibly resuming by next week.

Earlier today, the two groups held separate, back-to-back sessions, complying with the governor’s order. However, neither group conducted any business; the Democrats decided to hold a moment of silence for Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett.

Yesterday afternoon, Democrats gaveled in and gaveled out, which they argue is enough to fulfill their legal responsibilities. Republicans then did the same after Democrats left the chamber.

Neither session lasted longer than five minutes.

Democrats say their session is not constitutional because the Assembly has not been called back, as well.

“Five days left before June 30th [when several bills sunset] and, at this point, waiting for extra session, both Assembly and Senate, constitutionality of legislation is too important to have mock sessions to get stuff done,” said Democratic State Senator John Sampson.

But State Senator Pedro Espada Junior, the renegade Democrat who helped the GOP stage their June 8th coup, is more optimistic.

“Our staff has been meeting. We have a template and folks that I think for the first time have put down their armors and their shields and are really talking to each other in a respectful way,” said Espada. “We are obviously trying to resolve the impasse not just for a day or two, but throughout the coming months where we have to take on many more issues.”

The state Assembly, meanwhile, is rejecting Democratic calls that they should return to Albany, too.

Source: NY1

The New York State Assembly passed, by a vote of 89 to 52, a bill to make New York the sixth state to legalize gay marriage, but the measure remains stalled in the State Senate.

The Assembly for the second time has taken up the bill to legalize same sex marriages. The first was in 2007. Then, as now, it was approved with the backing of several Republicans.

Alan Van Capelle, the executive director of the gay and lesbian rights group Pride Agenda, says a lot has changed in the brief two years since the last vote.

“First of all, every member of the State Assembly who voted for it in 2007 got reelected with mostly larger margins,” said Capelle, who says in the brief two year period, major labor unions now support gay marriage, as do over 500 clergy in New York. Five states, several of them bordering New York, have already legalized same sex marriages.

Capelle, and other supporters of allowing gay marriage in New York, hope the example of the Assembly’s approval of the measure will help bring the legislation to a vote in the Senate, where it has continued to stagnate. Republicans, who led the Senate for decades, refused to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. Now Democrats are in charge, but hold an extremely narrow 32 vote margin. At least one Democratic Senator, Ruben Diaz of the Bronx, is against gay marriage. Diaz, a Pentecostal minister, is organizing an anti gay marriage rally for Sunday. Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith says he isn’t prepared to bring the measure to the floor for debate, until he knows for sure that he has the votes.

“I’m not bringing the bill to the floor without having 32 votes,” said Smith, who personally backs the measure.

Republicans, who are in the minority now in the Senate, with 30 seats, have so far refused to endorse the gay marriage bill, or any other major piece of legislation desired by Democrats, including the state budget. But many, including Governor David Paterson, a strong backer of gay marriage, believe that if the bill were to come to the floor for a vote, some GOP members would join with the Democrats and the bill would be approved.

Paterson had demanded that the Senate bring the bill to the floor, without counting the votes, but later backed away from that request.

The governor spoke at a recent lobbying day, where two thousand gay, lesbian, transgender and bi sexual New Yorkers and their allies lobbied Senators for the same sex marriage bill.

“I want to sign a bill,” said Paterson, to loud cheers.

Van Capelle, with Pride Agenda, says there are still six weeks left in the legislative session. He agrees that if any bill has the power to break the partisan log jam in the Senate, it’s the same sex marriage measure.

“If the Republicans decide not to vote as a block one time this year, this will be the issue,” Capelle predicted.

Senate Leader Smith, who recently spent several weeks painstakingly putting together an MTA bail out package that all 32 members of his Democratic conference could support, says as soon as the votes are there for same sex marriage, he will act. But the Majority Leader can’t predict whether that will happen by the end of this legislative session, or not.

Source: Public Broadcasting

New Yorkers stressed out over their finances can now get free one-on-one counseling — on the city.

Mayor Bloomberg yesterday announced the opening of three more “financial empowerment centers,” in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. The first began operating in The Bronx last summer.

Each is privately funded and offers advice on negotiating with creditors, budgeting, and screening government benefits, as well as referrals to other services and organizations.

Everyone is eligible. For more information, call 311.

Source: NY Post

After being stripped of his leadership positions, Brooklyn Senator Kevin Parker was released Saturday after pleading not guilty to felony criminal mischief in the alleged attack of a news photographer.

Police said New York Post photographer William Lopez snapped a picture of Parker on Avenue H in Flatbush, Brooklyn, and was then confronted by the senator.

Lopez told the Post that Parker chased him, and said when he tried to get in his car Parker attacked him, damaging his camera and one of the car’s doors.

In reaction, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith said in a statement on Saturday that Parker would no longer serve as senate majority whip or chair of the energy committee and would not receive the related stipends.

“These are serious charges which demand the attention of the proper authorities, and my decision today will stand until resolution of the proceedings that Senator Parker faces,” wrote Smith.

Police said Parker was charged with a felony because of the value of the property he damaged.

Parker was arrested in 2005 for allegedly punching a traffic agent who was writing him a ticket.

Source: NY1

Albany lawmakers in both houses are expected to vote today on a finalized MTA bailout agreement, which includes a lowered fare hike for riders and eliminates the threat of service cuts altogether.

The highly-anticipated deal between Governor David Paterson, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was announced Tuesday night during a press conference in the state capitol.

“There will be no surprises, there will be no further cuts or fears about fare hikes or toll increases. We have resolved that issue this evening,” said Paterson.

The plan would raise the base fare from $2.00 to $2.25, while monthly MetroCards would climb from $81 to $89. A roughly 10 percent increase would apply to all other MetroCards.

Service cuts and a proposal to place tolls on East River bridges have also been scrapped under the new agreement.

“This has been difficult on the commuters of the MTA region. They have suffered, feeling that there would be dramatic increases in fares and service cuts that would actually, in the catchment area in which some lived, would almost prohibit them from getting to work,” said Paterson.

In order to generate money, the deal includes a driver’s license fee hike of 25 to 30 percent, a $25 supplemental motor vehicle fee, an additional 5 percent sales tax on car rentals, and a 50 cent yellow taxi surcharge — all on top of a payroll tax which schools would pay upfront this year, but get refunds for next year.

The $2 billion program would help the agency fill a widening deficit and fund infrastructure projects like repairs to stations, subway cars and buses — ensuring it doesn’t return to the way it was a generation ago.

“We just cannot afford to make that mistake again. Tonight we have chosen a better path,” said Silver.

Meanwhile, straphangers had mixed opinions over Tuesday’s bailout agreement.

“I think it’s a better compromise for sure. I think it’s a good deal still a deal for the subways,” said one New Yorker.

“We’re paying for the same service, which isn’t that great to begin with, and they’re constantly saying they don’t have money to pay for the services, well where is all the money going,” said another New Yorker.

When the new fares take effect, it will mark the third increase since 2005. Bus and subway riders are also being told to expect more fare hikes in 2011 and again in 2013.

Source: NY1

One person from Albany County and two from Schenectady County are suspected victims of swine flu as the new influenza strain moves across the state.

Officials from both counties said Wednesday they sent specimens to the state’s Wadsworth laboratory for testing. The sick Albany County resident had traveled to an area with confirmed cases; Schenectady County’s health department would not release details about its two patients.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Richard Daines said the state is investigating 75 suspected cases, but he would not say what counties the individuals are from until tests confirm presence of the swine flu virus.

The state tested 21 samples Tuesday and found three probable cases one each from Cortland, Orange and Suffolk counties. It’s the first time people have tested positive for swine flu outside a group directly connected with an outbreak at a Catholic high school in Queens. The three new cases increase the number in New York to 54, the most swine flu cases of all the states.

A person with flu-like symptoms must have traveled in an infected area, such as Mexico or Queens, or been near someone who has traveled to an infected area, in order to be considered for testing.

Nationwide cases of swine flu, which is a combination of pig, bird and human influenza strains, are growing daily as the contagious illness spreads. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 91 cases have been confirmed.

Daines said six of the 21 cases tested Tuesday came up positive for regular flu perhaps a sign that known strains of influenza are still more common than the swine flu that is causing deaths in Mexico. New York regular flu season stretches into May.

“At this time of year the odds are, with what we were seeing with our tests yesterday, this may well be the seasonal influenza rather than our new variant,” Daines said at a news conference Wednesday at the Capitol.

The first U.S. fatality from swine flu occurred this week. The victim was a 22-month-old Mexican boy who was visiting relatives in Texas. But what many forget, Daines said, is that seasonal flu in the United States has proved more deadly over the years. New York already has recorded seven pediatric deaths from regular flu this season.

Federal and state governments are responding vigilantly to swine flu, Daines said, because without a vaccine for this strain there would be no way to protect healthy people if the disease cripples a large part of the population. It will take until later this year to produce the vaccine.

Around the Capital Region, schools are preparing for a possible outbreak. Most local schools have updated their Web sites with information about the virus.

In Saratoga Springs, administrators are educating parents and students about staying healthy.

Source: Times Union

Council Speaker Christine Quinn told voters Thursday night she couldn’t promise to endorse the Democratic nominee for mayor, leaving open the possibility the city’s most powerful Democratic official could endorse Mayor Bloomberg.

“After the democratic process, when we know who the two individuals are who are running, whatever lines they’re running on, I’m going to pick the individual who I believe is best for the city and best for the mayoralty,” Quinn said at the Chelsea Reform Democratic Club’s candidate forum.

“So, if you want me to say 100% tonight that it’s absolutely going to be the Democrat, I’m not prepared to say that,” said Quinn, adding she may not make any endorsement in the race.

Quinn’s reluctance to pledge support for her party’s mayoral nominee could signal trouble for the Democrats, who hope to regain City Hall after 16 years of Republican control. Bloomberg is running on the GOP and Independence party lines.

Quinn, who is seeking reelection to her Council seat, flip-flopped last year to support Bloomberg’s successful bid to overturn term limits. She had promised not to back a change to the law.

Councilman Tony Avella, a longshot Democratic candidate for mayor, said he’s not surprised by the comments.

“She’s been rolling over for Mike Bloomberg on almost every sort of issue that he’s brought to the forefront in the City Council,” Avella said. “She does what she’s told by Mike Bloomberg – I think it’s unfortunate that she’s turned her back on the Democratic party.”

An aide to city controller and Democratic mayoral hopeful William Thompson did not return a request for comment.

In 2005, Quinn supported Democratic mayoral nominee Fernando Ferrer.

Source: NY Daily News

Source: Crains New York

Source: NY1

Former State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno was indicted on federal corruption charges today.

Reports say prosecutors say the 79-year-old former New York Republican leader used his office to defraud the people of New York” between 1993 to at least 2006.

In those 13 years, he allegedly received $2 million coming from two financial services and $1.2 million from three union officials. Bruno failed to report the $3.2 million as gifts.

Bruno faces eight counts of corruption, fines of up to $250,000 and up to 20 years in jail if convicted.

He maintains his innocence and held a press conference this afternoon.

More than a year ago, Bruno revealed that his private business dealings were being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Then in July, Bruno suddenly resigned from his position as majority leader and became the chief executive of a consulting firm outside Albany.

Bruno represented the Troy area for 32 years and was a vocal opponent of former Governor Eliot Spitzer.

Source: NY1