Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to testify in Albany next week on mayoral control of city schools. The Mayor will appear before some of his chief antagonists, the State Senate Republicans, who renewed mayoral control for just one year in 2015. De Blasio's testimony comes amid a growing law enforcement probe into the Mayor's fundraising activities. State House Reporter Zack Fink reports.

Mayor de Blasio will travel to Albany next week to testify before a Republican controlled Senate committee on mayoral control of city schools. While the move is not totally unexpected, what's adding to the showdown here is that the Mayor is being investigated specifically for his efforts to help Senate Democrats win back control of the state Senate from Republicans two years ago, an effort which ultimately failed.

"That's right he is walking right into the belly of the beast, it's high political drama because these are the guys he tried to get rid of," said John Kaehny, executive director of good government group Reinvent Albany, "These are the guys who are benefiting most from his troubles right now with this probe."

Senate Republicans have made no secret of the fact that they were very angry at Mayor de Blasio for intervening in a handful of state senate races two years ago. And some observers think that helped contribute to the Mayor's failure to get parts of his agenda passed in Albany.

"He's not the Governnor," said Democratic Strategist Nomiki Konst. "He's the Mayor and he has been trying to manipulate the control of the Senate in 2014 with his fund, which is being investigated right now."

Mayoral control of City schools began under Mayor Bloomberg and has been extended for multiple years, until 2015 when de Blaiso was granted just a one-year extension. That was viewed by many as a slight against the progressive Mayor from Senate Republicans and Governor Cuomo.

The Mayor's aides say he looks forward to a robust discussion on how effective mayoral control of city schools has been.The Mayor is looking for a longer extension this time around.

"He pledged last year after being criticized that he would go and he would speak to Republicans directly and make the personally," Kaehny said. "So, he is obliged to do it no matter how difficult it is."

After next week's hearing on mayoral control a second hearing is scheduled for May 19 here in the city. Mayoral control expires in June.