ALBANY—Conspicuously absent from the deficit reduction package done yesterday: a proposed expansion of the bottle deposits. What once seemed like a done deal, a popular fix to a revenue problem, is headed for a dog fight in the State Senate. Majority Leader Malcolm Smith said he remains "uncommitted" on the bill, let) alone making it a legislative priority. (See ...

ALBANY—State University officials didn't get the warmest reception this morning at a legislative budget hearing. During the hearing, State Senator Carl Kruger vowed to "find every dollar available" before releasing blanket funds to public universities, which hiked tuition late last year, but which under David Paterson's proposal will see only 10 percent of the additional money raised ...

ALBANY—Malcolm Smith emerged from a closed door conference with the support of 32 elected Democrats, including the so-called gang of three renegades who had until this evening withheld their support. Smith said he would be "conclusively" elected tomorrow, in a session presided over by State Senator Neil Breslin before David Paterson delivers the State of the State address.He ...

ALBANY—Why is Carl Kruger getting a pass? The ring-leader of the so-called "gang of three" has spent a quiet holiday season, people close to him say, and as his fellow renegades have been blasted by mail, canvasser and YouTube, no one has gone after Kruger. He even passed some quality time at Brooklyn scion Vito Lopez's holiday party ...