John Sampson | The New York Observer

Thanksgiving Without Turkeys

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:15:43 -0500

ALBANY—Sheldon Silver's Turkey is sweet and unroasted.

"I enjoy Thanksgiving by getting a Baskin-Robbins turkey-shaped ice cream cake," the Assembly speaker said yesterday. "My children don't like turkey."

State Senator John Sampson, the leader of that chamber's Democratic conference, told reporters yesterday on the floor that "I don't eat Turkey," and said he was a vegetarian, when asked.

David Paterson, according to an aide, is expected to spend Thanksgiving in Albany at the Governor's...

The Senate Unites, For Now

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:59:34 -0500

ALBANY—David Paterson has succeeded in uniting the State Senate.

"As I said, Leader Sampson and I have been working very well together, we will continue to do that," Republican Senate Leader Dean Skelos said in a joint scrum with Democratic Senate Leader John Sampson on the chamber floor. "We just need the governor to stop thinking poll-wise, and realize that our minds are there to get something done--he should be in the same room."

...

Forget the Senate?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:50:06 -0500

ALBANY—Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver refused to rule out a two-way agreement with David Paterson to act on the state's budget deficit.

"My members would like to, and we do agree with the governor that it's a serious situation and we have to make serious cuts, and nobody likes to make serious cuts to anything but the reality is the fiscal situation is that you have to make cuts," Silver said, leaving a closed-door leaders...

Paterson: Sampson's a 'Friend'

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:44:43 -0500

ALBANY—David Paterson said he's getting along fine with John Sampson, the Democratic conference leader, with whom he is butting heads over a deficit.

"I don't think that Senator Sampson, who's the conference leader, is a lightweight," Paterson told reporters after an economic development announcement in Niagara County. "He's a friend of mine outside the process. I think he's doing the best he can trying to get the sides to come to the table."

Fred...

Senate Returns to Non-Session Sessions as Deficit Negotiations Drag

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:23:39 -0500

ALBANY—The State Senate just convened, and then adjourned, without doing anything.

Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson gave a two minute speech after a longer invocation by Fr. Anthony Mellace of St. John the Baptist in Rome, N.Y., which included pleas for bi-partisanship and a recitation of Emma Lazarus' poem from the base of the Statue of Liberty.

"I understand the anxiety everyone has that we need to get this done," Sampson said. The body...

Paterson: Not Tonight, Maybe Tomorrow

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:19:06 -0500

ALBANY—David Paterson said there will be no deficit agreement passed tonight.

"I think that if there's enough hard work tonight, then tomorrow we might be able to reach an agreement. That's not a prediction that we will reach an agreement tomorrow. It's just that I feel that we're continuing to negotiate and we just have to lock this down as quickly as possible," Paterson said after a press conference to announce an agreement to...

Senate Dems Insist They're Getting Close

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:28:29 -0500

ALBANY—It seems the State Senate Democrats are coalescing around a deficit reduction proposal--the question is whether it will be acceptable to everyone else.

"I said last night we're only $200 million apart on a $3.2 billion DRP," State Senator Liz Krueger said this morning. We've gone back in this morning with a number of additional proposals, as the governor himself has said that he would come back with."

"I hope that we get this...

No Deal, Mixed Messages After Leaders Meet

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:20:54 -0500

ALBANY—Emerging from a thirty-minute closed-door meeting with David Paterson, legislative leaders said they are still working on a deal on the mid-year deficit and hoped it could pass soon, but Paterson insisted we're still in Armageddonous territory.

"I don't know why people are walking out of here saying they're very close to a deal. I don't know why people are leaving here happy and I don't know why it is so difficult to understand...

Paterson: Whatever It Takes

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:20:36 -0500

ALBANY—David Paterson just said on a conference call he would agree to basically anything that would bridge the deficit.

"I am less and less ideological about deficit reduction. We just have to do it," Paterson said on a conference call with legislative leaders. "In other words, if the four of you agreed on something, you know, that I don't right now, I'd be persuaded to go along with it because my main thrust is...

Van Capelle is Confident in the Senate

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:12:55 -0500

ALBANY—Alan Van Capelle, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, just said he believes "we had the votes back in June, and I still believe we have the votes today" to pass the same-sex marriage bill.

Van Capelle has been pushing furiously for a vote this year, even though he is nearly alone in saying that there are enough votes in the State Senate to pass it. (Most Senate sources say the opposite.)...

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

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:47:44 -0500

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 on the calendar for a special session next week.

Conspicuously absent from the Red Room press conference where Paterson spoke...

Last Try for Same-Sex Marriage?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:16:06 -0500

ALBANY—It's a Hail Mary pass for same-sex marriage.

State Senator Tom Duane, the measure's sponsor in that chamber, just walked across the back of the floor trailed by Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson and Eric Adams, his top lieutenant. Along with Senators Malcolm Smith, Eric Schneiderman and Deputy Majority Leader Jeff Klein, they walked down to meet with David Paterson. Duane's hands were clasped and he was pacing. A source familiar with the lobbying...

Albany Waits

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:14:55 -0500

ALBANY—Assemblyman Peter Abbate walked out of the member's lounge in his chamber and tried to snag a seat on a bench when someone asked him what was going on.

"Nothing," he replied.

It's a classic hurry-up-and-wait situation here at the Capitol. The Assembly was scheduled to go into session at 3 p.m. I saw Abbate at 4:20. State Senators are sitting in a closed conference, with demonstrators in favor of same-sex marriage and stronger...

Paterson: Our New Target is $3.2 Billion

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:42:01 -0400

ALBANY—The mid-year budget deficit has now grown to $3.2 billion, and an estimated $6.8 billion next year, David Paterson said at a leaders meeting.

"We now have a $10 billion budget deficit. The plan that I issued just two weeks ago reduces that deficit by half," Paterson said. "In this period of time, I recognize the need for deliberation and also the legislative prerogative hold hearings to exact public input. And I have tried...

GNYHA Cites Three Senators in Budget Opposition

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:54:47 -0400

ALBANY—The hospital lobby is using three State Senate Democrats as a shield in their fight against health care cuts David Paterson proposed in a $3 billion deficit reduction plan.

Ken Raske, CEO of the Greater New York Hospital Association, sent this memo to hospital heads and lobbyists, naming Carl Kruger, John Sampson and Tom Duane as all being on record against cuts.

"It is extremely important that you continue to meet with your legislators,...

Even Discussion Is Beneficial, Same-Sex Marriage Advocates Say

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:46:36 -0400

ALBANY—They'll think about it, at least.

After public calls for same-sex marriage to be put on the agenda of a special session now scheduled for Nov. 10, members of the State Senate Democratic conference are hoping to at least hash it out in a closed-door conference.

"I think it's a conversation we need to have," said State Senator Diane Savino, a Staten Island Democrat, who is pushing to take up the issue. She said...

Andrew Cuomo Helps Consumers, Saves Upstate

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:19:02 -0400

ALBANY—In one stroke, Andrew Cuomo announced a program that should help health care consumers, bring investment and jobs to upstate New York and bring evil insurance companies to heel.

Cuomo was at Syracuse University's Maxwell School this morning to announce the creation of FAIR Health, a not-for-profit company that will become the clearinghouse for out-of-network health care reimbursement rates. Those rates are currently set almost exclusively by the Ingenix company, against which Cuomo has...

Senate Not Eager to Return

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:43:23 -0400

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 hearings to protect New Yorkers from any additional tax burden and preserve vital services and when these are complete we will...

Paterson: Same-Sex Marriage on the Agenda for the Special Session

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:34:50 -0400

Governor David Paterson has promised to put same-sex marriage on the agenda when he calls lawmakers back to Albany for a special session to deal with business left undone since the coup back in June.

“Marriage equality will be on the calendar,” Paterson told an audience at the Empire State Pride Agenda’s annual fund-raiser in Manhattan last night. “Marriage equality is coming to New York State.”

The head of ESPA, Alan van Capelle, went further, calling...

Paterson Says Legislators Better Show Up for Deficit Session

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:18:57 -0400

ALBANY—David Paterson is effectively daring the State Senate not to convene next week for a special session to address a mid-year budget deficit.

"The state senate had better show up to the special session, and I haven't any indication that they've said they're not coming," Paterson told Brian Lehrer on WNYC. "I have not received that indication."

Senators have scheduled public hearings on Monday in New York and on Tuesday in Brookhaven. John Sampson,...

Bloomberg, Into the Albany Muck

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:50:00 -0400

In his second and final campaign event of the evening of July 20, Michael Bloomberg visited a steaming hot volunteer headquarters in Riverdale, where he talked about his attempts to narrow the achievement gap between minority and white students. He was troubled. “People said you couldn’t do anything about it in the last seven years,” he said, sweating in a monogrammed white shirt. “And I think in the next four years, assuming we get mayoral control...

Klein Outraises Everyone, Espada Tells an Untruth About Filing

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:46:00 -0400

ALBANY—State Senator Jeff Klein raised more money in the last six months than any other member of his chamber. Klein's filing shows that the deputy majority leader raised $638,564, and has $866,984 in the bank. That's more than President Pro Tempore Malcolm Smith, who raised $575,835; Republican Leader Dean Skelos, who raised $256,022; Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson, who raised $105,223; and Senator Carl Kruger, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, who raised $541,510. It's...

Who Runs the Senate? (July 17 Edition)

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:05:00 -0400

ALBANY—So now that the Senate is nominallly a functioning body, who's running it? It's not an easy question to answer. "It's not a clear, bipartisan operating agreement, but it's not as though the Democrats have established clear control over the Legislature again and are consistently moving their agenda," Justin Phillips, a political science professor at Columbia University who researches state government, just told me by phone. "The Democrats are nominally back in charge, but until we...

The Amigos Don't Get Paid

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:28:00 -0400

ALBANY—Apparently, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli made good on his word to not pay still-fighting state senators, and they're taking it as a joke. A legislative staffer picking up his paycheck sent along this account from the payroll office on Wednesday afternoon: Sen. Monserrate and Sen. Diaz strolled into the payroll office joking around and asking "where is my pay check" and (Monserrate) "why don't I get one" and laughing about it. I turned to the clerk and...

Why Ravitch Helps Paterson More Than a Settlement

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:12:00 -0400

ALBANY—Democrats in the State Senate just said they will use David Paterson's appointment of Dick Ravitch as lieutenant governor to start passing legislation, a move which will add new layers of controversy to a leadership struggle that, given the increasingly complicated legal picture, isn't getting any closer to a resolution. "I can tell the 19.5 million people: We are free, out of bondage. We're not going to be held hostage anymore," Senator John Sampson said...

Sources: Leadership Deal Has Smith and Skelos Splitting Top Jobs

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:17:00 -0400

ALBANY—Negotiations to resolve the State Senate leadership struggle include a deal that would make Malcolm Smith the chamber's president pro tempore and Dean Skelos the majority leader, sources familiar with the discussions said. Irene Liu at Capitol Confidential reported this earlier, and has more on the second level of leadership. I've heard that things are still fluid regarding the role of the much-maligned Senator Pedro Espada Jr., who currently claims the title of president pro tempore,...

In the Chaos, Senate Dems May See One Last Opportunity to Wrest Schools From the Mayor

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:14:00 -0400

ALBANY—As both sides of the State Senate leadership struggle inch closer to an operating agreement, Democrats are positioning themselves to take one last crack at diluting mayoral control of city schools. Speaking to reporters after an extraordinary session that lasted just over three minutes, Senators Malcolm Smith and John Sampson, the leaders of the Democratic conference, insisted that they did not want to work out the problems and convene in a regular legislative session, which...

This Is the Cup of Hiram's Blood, Which Will Be Shed for You and for All

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:41:00 -0400

Here’s Hiram Monserrate this morning at the National Action Network, talking about his decision to return to the Democratic caucus. At the event, Monserrate likened himself to Jesus, who “began to turn over a few tables” in order “to get the people’s business done right.” Monserrate went on to say that “if it cost my election because I decided to turn over a table or two, and say that business has got to be done differently,...

Skelos Refuses to Endorse Espada Publicly

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:37:00 -0400

ALBANY—Emerging from closed door negotiations, State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. did not get an endorsement by Republican Leader Dean Skelos. Espada proclaimed to reporters: "I just want to address the many questions you have posed to my office this morning regarding some scurrilous rumors about their being an agreement that Pedro Espada would step down. Let's be clear about where this coalition stands. The coalition is firm, it's united. We are discussing the details of...

Big Senate Meeting, Ongoing

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:04:00 -0400

ALBANY--A massive meeting of Democrats, Republicans and Pedro Espada Jr. is going on on the fourth floor of the Capitol, ostensibly to work out a power-sharing agreement and some temporary resolution to the leadership struggle that has crippled the Senate for the last ten-plus days. Democrats including Malcolm Smith, John Sampson, Carl Kruger, Jeff Klein and prodigal senator Hiram Monserrate just walked out as staffers for Republicans and Espada went in. Golisano aide and coup-facilitator Steve...

Silver to Senate on Mayoral Control: No Tinkering, Please

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:45:00 -0400

ALBANY—There are still murmurings by opponents of mayoral school control that, even with the State Assembly's solid majority vote for the legislation, they will try to dilute the law that is eventually enacted. But Speaker Sheldon Silver has different ideas. State Senator Bill Perkins, an opponent of mayoral control, told me Wednesday night, "We're going to come up with a bill that will represent our vision of what school governance should be." He said there should...

Republicans Make an Offer That Leaves Skelos and Espada in Charge

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:41:00 -0400

ALBANY—Republicans just made a counter-proposal for bipartisan operating of the State Senate, as the deadlocked chamber moves to resolve an ongoing leadership struggle. The Republican proposal would last until 2011. It would leave Republican leader Dean Skelos in the majority leader post and State Senator Pedro Espada Jr., a Democrat, as president pro tempore. The two would jointly publish an active list of bills, but any member could move to have a bill they sponsored put...

Sampson: Let's Just Go Home

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:50:00 -0400

ALBANY—Democratic Senate Leader John Sampson has a new suggestion for resolving the leadership battle in his chamber: just go home. "I would like to give it one last attempt to negotiate a possible bi-partisan governance to get the work of the people done," Sampson said to Fred Dicker on WGDJ Talk 1300. "But I don't want to waste any more time. I don't want to waste their time, I don't want to waste my time,...

'This Mess Is Worse Than Ever'

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:46:00 -0400

ALBANY—Apparently, the court decision that both sides in the State Senate leadership struggle were waiting for has changed nothing. Both sides claimed victory when Justice Thomas McNamara dismissed a suit filed last week by the Democrats, a suit which would have declared Malcolm Smith (still!) the majority leader and president pro tempore in the Senate. Democrats said they would not appeal the ruling, and once again reiterated their desire to work out some sort of...

Senate Republicans Will Pass the Assembly's Mayoral Control Bill, If They Can

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:27:00 -0400

ALBANY—Putting politics aside for a moment, the Senate mess may have a tangible impact on the final shape of the bill reauthorizing mayoral control of schools. Newly named Democratic conference leader John Sampson is, as the Post noted this morning, a "foe" of the system and is one of the co-sponsors of a bill that would have diluted the mayor's power over the Panel for Educational Policy. The Assembly had been waiting for the State Senate...

Bipartisanship, But How?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:57:00 -0400

ALBANY—While both sides in the fight over state senate leadership wait to hear from a judge, the 31-31 split in the chamber means things will have to get more bipartisan. Right? "It's not in their political D.N.A. to work in a bipartisan fashion," said Blair Horner, the legislative director of NYPIRG and a longtime Capitol observer. "I don't know how long it takes to get there, but if there's any hope for the session, it's...

Who Is John Sampson?

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:39:00 -0400

John Sampson is the favorite to replace Malcolm Smith as Democratic leader in the State Senate, enjoying the support of a growing number of his colleagues and the blessing of the Conference of Black Senators. Which means that, depending on the outcome of the ongoing struggle for control of the Senate, this anonymous official may soon be one of the Three (or four?) Men who ostensibly run the state. So, who is he? Above...

Dem Senators Gather, Tensely

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:46:00 -0400

John Sampson arrived at 250 Broadway for a meeting of Democratic State Senators about 30 minutes ago, flanked by Bill Perkins of Harlem and Eric Adams of Brooklyn. Sampson didn't say much to the reporters gathered out here. Jeff Klein arrived by car with Diane Savino, and said he wants the Democrats to maintain the majority "on our terms." He did not elaborate. Malcolm Smith arrived more than an hour ago, before most reporters arrived. Smith was on...

Democrats Meeting at 250 Broadway; Sampson Says 'We Are Not Going Back to the Minority'

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:47:00 -0400

State Senate Democrats will be a meeting at 250 Broadway this afternoon, where they will attempt to consummate a deal that will bring defector Hiram Monserrate back across the aisle in support of a new conference leader. Whatever arrangement has been agreed upon so far is being described as "very fluid," Democratic sources kept repeating. This would bring about a 31-31 partisan split in the chamber, which has been crippled by a leadership struggle since...