Things are looking promising at the state Capitol today for an agreement that will end the stalemate in the NY Senate.  Casey Seiler at CapCon reports here.

Today’s 11 a.m. session continued yesterday’s theme of “Let’s find reasons to be collegial.” Today was a call from GOP leader Dean Skelos for the dozen or so military veterans in the chamber to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

Democratic leader Malcolm Smith and several of his conference members spent several minutes before the seven-minute session began on the Republican side of the aisle – another sign that negotiations between both sides, while currently being conducted by staffers, are going well and would continue through the weekend.

“As long as we can continue to be in a room together … camaraderie will grow,” Smith told reporters after session.

Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. said that talks were moving in a bottom up fashion, and are currently focused on more workaday issues such as the equitable division of committee responsibilities and resources. Both sides have agreed to hold off on resolving the much more tangled question of leadership of the chamber – especially the conditions under which Espada could remain the chamber’s president pro tem.

“Most people want to be fair,” said Espada, who added that he hoped for a resolution within 48 hours.

Unfortunately, several Democrat Senators were missing from the session once again.  You recall that we reported on the Dems blowing off these sessions in this story.  I guess Democrat senators really don’t give a crap about doing their job and public opinion.

A half-dozen members of the Democratic conference were AWOL, including Sens. Suzi Oppenheimer, Kevin Parker and Ruben Diaz Sr. UPDATE: Parker and Oppenheimer, although not on the floor, have checked in with the journal clerk; Diaz remains unexcused.

After all the supposed outrage from our local media, wouldn’t you expect some reporting on this blatant derilect of duty?