Paterson tries to end Senate standoff

ALBANY, N.Y. (WIVB) - Governor David Paterson is turning to a new interpretation of the state constitution to try to end the standoff in the State Senate.

Governor Paterson believes the state constitution should allow him to appoint a lieutenant governor.

If he were able to do that, it might at least break the 31 to 31 tie that exists right now in the State Senate, but State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo says that idea is unconsitutional.

Meanwhile, State senators assembled briefly but didn't pass anything.

Democrats have blamed Republicans for not agreeing to at least a short term compromise on who lead the Senate, but Amherst Republican Michael Ranzenhofer for one is not looking for a temporary fix.

Senator Ranzenhofer said, "You can't go through this every single day. You have to have final settlement and to do something for a day, and then you come back next week, and I don't know, if the proposal is then to negotiate for another month to negotiate for another day, it's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard of. You need a final solution to this."

The governor spent the day in Kingston, New York, taking his message about the Senate stalemate to the voters.

A state judge is deciding whether the governor can block senators from getting paid this Wednesday.