WLIU: New York Statewide News (2009-11-06)

AP-NYS--Right Now,0715

Latest New York news, sports, business and entertainment:

NY LEGISLATURE
Paterson calls for session on budget, gay marriage

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Gov. David Paterson is calling the
Legislature back to Albany for a special session to cut the budget
and possibly vote on legalizing same-sex marriage.
Paterson wants the Senate to give final legislative approval to
same-sex marriage. But there's no guarantee there are enough votes
to carry the measure, which has already passed in the Assembly.
While the Legislature must attend the extraordinary session
called by Paterson for Tuesday, lawmakers don't have to act on his
agenda.
That agenda includes addressing a deficit of more than $3
billion with midyear cuts to school aid and health care, among
other measures.
The Democrat also wants lawmakers to consider long-sought reform
of public authorities, a so-called "shadow government" that's
been caught in several scandals.

NY STATE BUDGET
AP NewsBreak: Senate majority will snub Paterson

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York officials say the Senate's
Democratic majority won't attend Democratic Gov. David Paterson's
joint address to the Legislature Monday on trying to create a
coalition to address the state's latest fiscal crisis.
A senior Democratic official close to the majority's leaders
says the senators won't return to Albany for what the official
termed "a photo opp" for Paterson, who is languishing in the
polls as he seeks election in 2010. The official spoke on condition
of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak for the
senators.
The Senate's Republican minority and the Assembly's Democratic
majority and Republican minority plan to attend the rare midyear
address to a joint session of the Legislature called by Paterson.

POLITICAL CORRUPTION-TRIAL
Union official recalls Bruno fund investment pitch

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A former Teamsters union official says
then-Sen. Joseph Bruno told him in 1994 that Wright Investors
Service wanted to manage his local's pension fund and didn't
disclose he was being paid by Wright.
Howard Bennett, a fund trustee for Local 294, says he knew Bruno
for years personally and as a lawmaker with a good record on labor
issues. He contacted Bruno sometimes about union legislative
concerns. He testified Thursday at Bruno's federal corruption
trial.
While Wright did get pension fund business, Bennett says there
was "no quid pro quo" and Wright had to stack up financially in
bidding.
Bruno, who was Senate majority leader from 1995 until retiring
last year, faces eight fraud charges. He's accused of using his
state influence to enrich himself.

OBAMA-OWENS
Upstate Rep. Bill Owens invited to White House

WASHINGTON (AP) - New York Congressman-elect Bill Owens has been
invited to the White House to meet with President Barack Obama.
White House officials say the Democrat who won the heavily
Republican 23rd congressional District in rural northern New York
will meet with Obama privately on Friday.
Owens' spokesman, John Boughtin, says staffers are trying to
confirm whether Owens would take part in a ceremonial swearing-in
with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The lawyer and retired Air Force captain is the first Democrat
to represent the region in the House since 1857.
Owens defeated Conservative Doug Hoffman and Republican Dierdre
Scozzafava (skoh-zuh-FAH'-vuh) for the vacant seat of Republican
Rep. John McHugh, who became Obama's secretary of the Army.
Scozzafava abruptly withdrew from the race under pressure from
the GOP and threw her support behind Owens.

EPA REGIONAL APPOINTMENT
Adviser to NY governor to be regional EPA director

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - The chief environmental adviser to Gov.
David Paterson has been chosen to head the regional office of the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that oversees New York and New
Jersey.
President Barack Obama named Judith Enck regional administrator
for Region 2, which also covers Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin
Islands and seven Indian Nations.
She replaces George Pavlou, the acting regional administrator.
The agency announced the appointment Thursday.
Enck was an environmental policy adviser for state Attorney
General Eliot Spitzer and moved to the executive branch in 2006
when Spitzer became governor.
Before government service, Enck had a long career as an
environmental advocate in Albany. She worked for the New York
Public Interest Research Group and headed Environmental Advocates
of New York.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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