The state legislative session is almost over and there's still no deal on the city's biggest issue, the mayor's control of schools. Zack Fink filed the following report.
With long days extending into long nights at the state Capitol, there is still no deal on mayoral control of city schools, which expires this month.
No fans of Mayor Bill de Blasio, Republicans in the Senate want to extend it for just one year, and with more state oversight.
State Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan shot down any chance of compromise after a leaders meeting Wednesday.
"We are at our bill," Flanagan said.
De Blasio declined to criticize state leaders for failing to reach a deal on mayoral control, even though it's coming down to the wire with just one more scheduled session day left.
"I think the message has been received loud and clear in Albany that a consensus exists in this city that we need mayoral control to keep fixing our schools," the mayor said.
If mayoral control is not renewed, the city would revert back to the old decentralized school system, which included 32 community school boards, many of which were plagued by corruption.
The mayor was asked if there is a contingency plan should mayoral control expire.
"There is no specific discussion underway," de Blasio said. "Obviously, we went through this last year, so we were able to do a little bit of thinking about what it would look like if it didn't get extended. And we understand some of the first steps we would have to take if that were the case."
Republicans say they are willing to negotiate, but so far, neither side has moved off their respective positions, at least publicly.
"Well, it would be good if everybody negotiated and we got down to brass tax and we sit down at the table. Instead of talking to you guys, they talk to us," said state Senator Carl Marcellino of Long Island.
There was some news on another front Wednesday. State leaders say they have reached a deal on pension forfeiture. This would require elected officials convicted of a felony to forfeit their state pension. But assembly Democrats, who didn't like the bill to begin with, are making some of the same arguments against it.