Senate Democrats say Bills Passed, GOP Cries Foul ALBANY, NEW YORK (WXXI) - It was a day of one upsmanship and parliamentary maneuvers between the two feuding factions in the Senate. At the end of the day Democrats were claiming that a quorum had been formed and the Senate had acted on several key bills, but the Republicans were crying foul.

The dispute began when the 31 Democrats decided to hold a regular Senate session shortly after they adjourned from the special session called by governor Paterson. The Democrats did not expect to have a quorum of 32 senators present to pass bills, and had called the event mostly to score political points against the 30 Republicans and one Democrat who are in opposition to them, on a day when many key laws were to expire.

Then, unexpectedly, Senator Frank Padavan, a Republican from Queens, was spotted near the chambers. The Democrats, seizing the opportunity, counted Padavan as present, declared a quorum had been reached, and immediately began passing bills.

Senator Padavan was furious, and called it a "fraud". He said he was only walking across the back of the Senate before the session began to get a cup of coffee from the member's lounge, because the front of the chamber was temporarily blocked by media waiting for a news conference.

"It's absurd," Padavan said.

Democrats, continued passing 125 bills, including sales tax extensions for a number of counties, and the economic development program known as Power for Jobs. They claimed that the votes were valid. Senator John Sampson is conference leader.

"We have a coalition of 31 Democrats and one Republican," Sampson said to laughter from his Democratic colleagues. "The gridlock has been vacated, substantial legislation has been passed."

Senator Padavan called the Democrat's assertions "pathetic". Senator Dean Skelos, who was voted Majority Leader in the June 8th vote, called the session a "charade", and said was the most "fraudulent obnoxious, arrogant display of partisanship" he'd ever seen take place in the Senate.

Governor David Paterson, who was initially jubilant that the Senators were passing bills, conceded that because of the dispute he probably could not sign any of the legislation approved.

An incensed Paterson then berated all of the Senators.

"Once again, the do-nothing Senate has exceeded our greatest fears and contempt," said Paterson.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is trying to retain mayoral control of the New York City schools, did not come in person to lobby Senators, but participated in a press conference with Paterson via satellite hook up.

"I would be hard pressed to explain to the students in our school system this kind of democracy," Bloomberg said.

The mayor seemed resigned that the school governance bill would not be renewed Tuesday, some Democrats including conference Leader Sampson are against it. Bloomberg threatened that Senators would be punished come election time. Bloomberg in the past has given tens of thousands of dollars to the campaigns of Senate Republicans.

Governor Paterson called two special sessions Tuesday. One at 10 am and another at 7 pm. Due to a court order all 62 Senators were present. But both times, Senators adjourned after just a few minutes without taking up any of the governor's bills.
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