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FUROR ON CHARTER ‘UNIONS’

Only in Albany!

Two state lawmakers introduced a bill requiring that all charter-school staffers be union members.

But when asked by a reporter about the controversial measure, one of them insisted she didn’t know what was in her own proposal.

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The legislation was sponsored by state Sen. Diane Savino (D-SI) and Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan (D-Queens).

“You did me a favor. You pointed out something I didn’t realize,” Savino told The Post.

Initially, Savino insisted that the intent of her bill was only to allow the United Federation of Teachers and District Council 37 to be the designated bargaining agents, should the staffers at the charters vote to unionize.

But Savino then called her staff to review the text and agreed that the proposal raised “legitimate concerns” for charters.

“We’re going to pull the bill,” she said, adding that it was originally drafted in the Assembly.

The measure was yanked yesterday.

Peter Murphy, spokesman for the New York State Charter Schools Association, said “This legislation would apply to every charter school. That would be a back-breaker. It would be crippling.”

The bill had been sitting in an Assembly committee for months, apparently going nowhere. But charter-school operators feared the Legislature would pass the measure after it was introduced in the Senate.

Charter schools have flourished since Mayor Bloomberg won the right to run city education. The number of charters will reach 99 this fall, from 17 in 2002.

The school-governance law expires on June 30, and lawmakers are discussing whether to make minor revisions that basically preserve mayoral control, or major changes that strip City Hall’s authority.

carl.campanile@nypost.com