The New York Observer » Austin Shafran

Parties Fight Over How to Be Bi-Partisan, Immediate Inaction Results

ALBANY—Democrats in the State Senate are acknowledging (at least temporary) rejection in their offer of three committee chairmanships to Republicans.

"We will not have a formal announcement this week but we will be making an announcement shortly about one of our proposals to create a more bi-partisan chamber," said Austin Shafran, a Democratic spokesman. Read More

Skelos: Let’s Not Rush Into Anything

ALBANY—Dean Skelos, the Republican leader in the State Senate, is putting the brakes on a Democratic proposal to give members of his conference committee chairmanships.

"Senator [John] Sampson's proposal to appoint new chairs should be considered along with these other recommendations, by the bipartisan committee, before any action is taken," Skelos said in a Read More

Skelos and Sampson Met to Discuss Republican Chairmanships

ALBANY—John Sampson and Dean Skelos, the leaders of their party's respective conferences in the State Senate, met this morning to discuss the prospect of Republicans taking over the chairmanship of several committees, a Democratic spokesman said.

"Because the discussions are still ongoing, I cannot confirm the members of the committees," said Austin Shafran, the spokesman, Read More

Paterson Will Delay $750 Million Starting on Tuesday, Says It’s the Legislature’s Fault

ALBANY—Today is the day of reckoning.

David Paterson just held a press conference to announce that, as he has threatened for two weeks, the state will delay a portion of payments to localities and school district because it doesn't have enough cash to make them.

In total, $750 million will be stalled: Paterson said Read More

‘Ambassador’ Smith Heading to California

ALBANY—State Senator John Sampson got to do most of the back room negotiating over the deficit package. Senator Malcolm Smith gets to go to California.

Smith, a Queens Democrat, will leave tomorrow for a three-day forum of the National Conference of State Legislators in San Diego, his spokesman Austin Shafran said. Smith will Read More

Collateral Inconvenience: Bruno Case Ties Up Senate Computers

ALBANY—There's a computer shortage in the State Senate because federal investigators seized over 100 terminals in connection with their investigation of former Majority Leader Joe Bruno, whose trial is now underway.

"Due to the allegations against former majority leader Joe Bruno, the feds confiscated a number of Senate computers, which left the senate Read More

Paterson Says That the Senate Has Secretly Promised to Vote on Same-Sex Marriage

ALBANY—A vote on same-sex marriage will be held "at a date not certain between now and the end of the year," David Paterson just promised publicly.

"This is the first time the Senate leadership has indicated that it will support a vote on marriage equality," Paterson said. He also committed to putting the bill Read More

Senate Not Eager to Return

ALBANY—The State Senate, which is not known for promptness, doesn't seem eager to respond to David Paterson's call for a special joint session during the second week of November.

"The Senate will return when there is an agreement," Austin Shafran, a spokesman for the Democratic majority, said. "We are conducting bipartisan, statewide budget Read More

Gay Marriage in October, Or Else

ALBANY—September has come and gone, and the State Senate still has not acted on same-sex marriage legislation. Advocates of the bill do not want to let October pass.

"The Senate needs to come back and debate this bill and have an up-and-down vote on this bill in October," Alan Van Capelle, executive director of Read More

Kruger: Mayoral Control Bill ‘DOA’

ALBANY—School governance legislation is in trouble.

A meeting last night between Senator John Sampson, the Democratic conference leader, and Senators Bill Perkins and Shirley Huntley with Deputy Mayors Kevin Sheekey and Dennis Walcott did not go well, a Democratic source said. Depending on the outcome of a Democratic conference scheduled for noon, the Read More

Kruger: Mayoral Control Bill ‘DOA’

ALBANY—School governance legislation is in trouble. A meeting last night between Senator John Sampson, the Democratic conference leader, and Senators Bill Perkins and Shirley Huntley with Deputy Mayors Kevin Sheekey and Dennis Walcott did not go well, a Democratic source said. Depending on the outcome of a Democratic conference scheduled for noon, the legislation might Read More

Call Off the Lawyers, Except About Ravitch

The lawyers are standing down, mostly.

"Most of the cases have been rendered moot after the agreement reached yesterday and the resulting regular session of the Senate," Austin Shafran, a spokesman for the State Senate Democrats, said.

There have been six lawsuits filed in connection with the now-resolved leadership struggle in the chamber (I Read More

Call Off the Lawyers, Except About Ravitch

The lawyers are standing down, mostly. "Most of the cases have been rendered moot after the agreement reached yesterday and the resulting regular session of the Senate," Austin Shafran, a spokesman for the State Senate Democrats, said. There have been six lawsuits filed in connection with the now-resolved leadership struggle in the chamber (I detailed Read More

Democrats Say Pigeon Breaks Rules

ALBANY—Steve Pigeon, a registered lobbyist, violated the rules of the State Senate when he appeared on the floor, Democrats allege.

While Pigeon insisted to me by phone that he "resigned" as the "volunteer" lobbyist for Responsible New York, the political entity of Florida-based billionaire Tom Golisano, a spokesman for the Commission on Public Read More

Sliding Into Saturday: No Agreement, No Court Order

ALBANY—The mood here among lawmakers tonight reminds me of what architect Henry Hobson Richardson once famousy wrote about Albany: "Misery, wretchedness, ennui and the devil. I've got to spend another night in Albany." After meeting behind closed doors for an hour, Supreme Court Justice Joseph Teresi said he will hear David Paterson out on why Read More