GOP senators stand behind Paterson budget vetoes

ALBANY - State Senate Republicans Tuesday indicated they would not provide the votes necessary to override Gov. David A. Paterson's vetoes of legislative budget bills that had restored $600 million of his proposed school aid cuts.

Without GOP support, the Senate's Democratic majority cannot muster the two-thirds vote to override Paterson's vetoes. In the Assembly, overrides won't be difficult because Democrats have a large majority - but as of last night they hadn't decided whether to take action.

Meanwhile, both houses are expected Thursday to vote on a bill with new taxes and other revenue. They could take up another bill with spending for the legislature and state courts as early as Wednesday. Passage of both would essentially wrap up the $136-billion budget, which is 91 days late.

Despite Paterson's pledge to veto the additional spending in Monday's legislative budget bills, negotiations continued Tuesday among staff for the three parties. They hoped to reach a compromise on school aid, giving SUNY and CUNY more freedom to set tuition rates and establishing a reserve fund in case New York doesn't receive $1-billion in promised Medicaid funds from Washington. The Senate Democratic leader was said to be serving as a go-between because relations are strained between Paterson and the Assembly speaker, both Democrats.

Still, the Capitol buzzed with speculation about whether the legislature would successfully nix Paterson's 6,900 vetoes.

Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) appeared to scuttle such plans, saying the Democratic majorities "should not expect or count on Senate Republicans to bail them out of the mess that they have made of this budget and the damage they are inflicting on taxpayers."

Veto overrides must begin in the Assembly because the bills passed there first. "Once we pass a revenue bill [Thursday] we will take it up in conference and make a determination as to whether we'll move on override," said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver of Manhattan.

Sen. John Sampson of Brooklyn, the Democratic leader, acknowledged veto overrides were an option, but said he hoped to broker a compromise with Paterson.

However, Sampson also confirmed the legislature is trying to pressure Paterson by delaying Senate confirmation of judicial appointments and withholding the services of bill writers.

Paterson aides are fuming over the tactics, but the governor spent Tuesday lobbying for a fund to remedy a potential deficit if federal Medicaid funds aren't forthcoming. He will join nine other governors in Washington Wednesday to push Congress to approve the money.

"We are going to be a billion dollars in debt," Paterson told WOR Radio.