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Posted: Tuesday, 30 June 2009 11:07AM
New York State Senators Meet in Chamber, Briefly
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ALBANY, NY (WCBS 880 / AP) -- Yet again, the New York State Senate was gaveled into extraordinary session and adjourned with nothing accomplished.
Governor David Paterson compared the battle for control of the New York State Senate to a domestic dispute.
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In a LIVE interview on WCBS 880 Tuesday morning, Paterson said, "Sometimes you get so embroiled in a personal fight that you can't see the damage you're doing - almost like... in domestic disputes. They can come to the session and discharge the people's business without any, uh, damage to their, to their fight that they're having - their political fight with each other."
Among the laws that will expire at midnight Tuesday is the law giving the mayor control of the New York City schools. Unless that law is extended, control of the schools goes back to the now-nonexistent Board of Education.
Paterson told WCBS that Mayor Michael Bloomberg will be joining him "to make clear that costs will be taken out of the classroom to rebuild New York City's old governance structure with the school boards and the school board elections and they'll have to rent buildings in every district to, uh, have new school boards. All of this because the Senate is not meeting and we are not discharging the people's business."
A five-judge appellate division panel has scheduled a hearing Tuesday afternoon on the Republicans' efforts to block a judge's order that they have to attend sessions called by the governor. An appeals court judge refused to stay that order Tuesday morning, leading to the brief session.
Republican Sen. Thomas Libous, a leader of the group that mounted a June 8 coup against the Democratic conference, says court action could drag the dispute into the July 4 weekend.
Paterson has said he'll keep senators in Albany until they break the stalemate.
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Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Audio Content and Graphic Content Copyright 2009 WCBS-AM 880.
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