Democrats Won't Attend Republican-Proposed Negotiations

ALBANY—Having blown some key deadlines yesterday, Democratic senators are putting off even talking about an operating agreement that will let the hobbled State Senate function again.

Republicans said yesterday they were taking up Democrats on a proposal to negotiate such a solution in public. They suggested noon today.

The offer may well have been made in less-than-good faith.But it was an offer.

Democrats put out this statement about 20 minutes before they were to meet at the table:

"The Senate Democratic Conference has informed Senators Skelos and Espada that we would like to conduct a public leaders meeting tomorrow which will allow us the time to work on arrangements and an agenda to ensure a productive negotiation," a joint statement from Democratic Senators John Sampson and Malcolm Smith said.

I'm going to head to the meeting room to see if Republicans show up to rage.