Paterson, Legislature Pass Leandra's Law, Agree to Authority Reform, No Budget Deal Yet

By Karen DeWitt

Albany, New York – There's still no agreement at the Capitol on a how to resolve the state's budget deficit, but Governor Paterson and state lawmakers have worked on some other laws in the meantime. One enacts the toughest penalties in the nation against drunk driving, another reforms practices at New York's public authorities.

Governor Paterson signed into law Leandra's law, hours after the legislature had approved the measure, which gives New York the toughest in the nation penalties against drunk driving. It is named for Leandra Rosado, who was killed while a passenger in the car of a drunk driver.

Governor Paterson, standing next to Leandra's father, Lenny Rosado, held up a picture of the child who he said "should be coming home from school right now, should be hanging out with her father". He said she had plans to start a garden and work to prevent bullying at school.

"Somebody like this was going to grow up and do some wonderful things for the world, but didn't get a chance to," Paterson said. "Not because of decision she made, but because of a decision that someone who was impaired made."

The measure will make it a felony to have a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher, if the person is driving and there are children in the car. It will also mandate that ignition interlock devices be installed in cars when a driver has been convicted on a DWI charge.

Paterson and the legislature also announced a deal on reforming the state's public authorities, which they say will "shed light on New York's shadow government". It includes an independent budget office to monitor the finances of hundreds of public authorities, which together hold billions of dollars in contracts and capital financing bonds. The budget office will have subpoena powers, and the State Comptroller will also review all authority contracts worth more than a million dollars. Assembly sponsor Richard Brodsky called it "the most fundamental reform of Albany institutions in decades".

The Assembly approved the authority reform measure, but Democrats in the Senate did not have enough members present to vote, and planned to act on the bill Thursday.

But resolving the budget deficit, which was the main purpose of the special sessions held this month, remained elusive.

Lawmakers were hopeful that they could get an agreement on New York's budget deficit before the end of the week, as they continued Wednesday to negotiate the scope of education and health care cuts.

Several Senate Democrats report that they are close to a deal with the governor on plugging most of the $3.2 billion dollar budget hole that Paterson says exists. Senate Finance Committee Chair Carl Kruger was hopeful as he left a mid day conference meeting with other Democrats.

"I'm guardedly optimistic," said Kruger.

Senator Kruger acknowledged that the budget reduction plan will ultimately contain some school aid cuts, though less than what Governor Paterson had initially wanted.

"Pain should be inflicted as grudgingly as possible," said Kruger.

Governor Paterson said he could not put a "time line" on when negotiations would be finished, and acknowledged that internal problems among the razor thin 32 Majority Democrats and 30 Republicans in the Senate has been holding things up.

"There's no secret that there's a battle continuing in the Senate," said Paterson, who said lawmakers are also reluctant to be blamed for school and health care cuts.

Governor Paterson has said he's considering taking measures on his own, along with his budget director and the state comptroller, to close the deficit, if there's no agreement.