ALBANY — An ill-timed vacation by embattled Queens state Sen. Malcolm Smith could cost Democrats their crucial 32nd vote in a special session today and delay a budget deal for at least another week.
Senate sources said the Senate president pro tempore — whose business dealings and role in selecting a casino operator for the Aqueduct Racetrack is under federal investigation — was “away” and wouldn’t attend the session this week.
Smith’s absence would make it all-but-impossible for senators to pass a $1 billion revenue bill needed to complete the $134.4 billion budget, now nearly four months overdue.
The overwhelmingly Democratic Assembly passed the legislation in June. But the party has a bare one-vote majority in the Senate, and Republicans say they’re unified in opposition to the tax-laden bill.
Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson of Brooklyn said the Senate wouldn’t act on the budget bill until he reached agreement with Gov. Paterson and the Assembly speaker on several outstanding issues.
“When there is an agreement, we will move forward,” Sampson said.