| The legislative session in Albany completely fell apart last night leaving plenty of unfinished business and it appears that there may be more time put on the clock later this year. Everyone seems to be pointing a finger at someone else as to why things crumbled the way that they did, but some of those accusations seem a bit more valid than others. Bruno and Shelly wanted a whole mess of pork and the Governor wants meaningful campaign finance reform. In the end, Bruno decided to punt and go home.
Session crumbles; Sematech survives
Spitzer, Senate feud waylays many deals, though lawmakers may return
The 2007 regular legislative session expired late Thursday with deals going sour as the governor accused the Senate of trying to push through a half-billion dollar plan laden with pork.
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The Legislature could return, however, within a month.
Gov. Eliot Spitzer refused more than $1 billion in capital spending lawmakers wanted for projects across the state, saying much of it was "fat."
Agreements were few and far between, although both chambers agreed to a bill to end solitary confinement of mentally ill prisoners. Both also passed a late-arriving bill called the "airline passengers' bill of rights" to require food, water and other comforts for passengers when flights are delayed more than three hours.
One-house bills were passed in volumes, including $350,000 Sen. Hugh Farley, R-Niskayuna, sought for a free medical clinic in Schenectady County. But negotiations continued almost to the last minute on that money and various other deals that could get sewn up later in the year.
A push to let racetrack casino operators, including Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, keep more revenues from video lottery terminals for marketing seemed ripe for an agreement.
Good to see that we can at least agree to subsidize the marketing of video lottery with public money, isn't it?
What was Uncle Joe's big concern? Spitzer's "obsession" with campaign finance reform.
Bruno blamed Spitzer for what he called a ruined finish to what started out as a promising session. He said deals were impossible because of the governor's "obsession" with achieving a campaign finance reform deal desired by no one other than misguided special interest groups.
He said the governor was holding several issues "hostage" unless he got his way on reforming the political donation process.
I have real doubts that anything significant is going to happen on CFR with this legislature. Bruno knows he's going to need every filthy penny he can get his hands on to try to hold on to his majority next year and has decided to to both run out the clock and milk as much money as he possibly can from special interests before November of 2008. In fact, one could say that he seems "obsessed" with preserving the shameful status quo. |
