Another round: Gov vs. Senate

The state Senate is meeting this morning — and hopes to negotiate with Gov.  David Paterson:

AP – New York’s Senate is back in session, but the Democrat-controlled chamber has no plans to take up the final bill needed to close a state budget now three months late.

Senate leader John Sampson says his chamber won’t take up the revenue bill during Thursday’s session. The bill contains taxes, fees and other measures that raise $1 billion.

Instead, Sampson says he will try to negotiate with Democratic Gov. David Paterson as he vetoes 6,900 bills that add spending. Sampson seeks to take up three issues Paterson said he needs agreement on before he negotiates with the Legislature.

But Paterson says he’s not neg

otiating, and is going ahead with the vetoes today.  Meeting with reporters at about 11 , he was repeatedly pressed on whether the Senate could forestall the vetoes and re-start negotiations by agreeing to the governor’s wishes on a contingency plan for Medicaid funding if the federal government withholds $1 billion (FMAP), and greater autonomy for SUNY and CUNY.

He said no, no and no

More, this afternoon on All Before Five.