NO PAY, NO WORK IN ALBANY

A few years ago, New York State legislators gave themselves a raise after
agreeing that their paychecks would be withheld whenever the state budget
came in late. This was supposed to remedy their chronic inability to
deliver a budget by the April 1 deadline. The scheme has not worked as
planned. This year the budget is more than two months late with no
resolution in sight. So the lawmakers, who are not getting paid anyway, are
preparing to go home, thus bringing their work output into line with their
pay intake. What this also means is that in addition to their failure to
fashion a budget, the legislators have shortchanged basic legislation as
well. Here are a few issues that may require the legislators to return to work:

* A women's health insurance package is stalled over whether religious
employers can refuse to provide medical insurance that pays for contraceptives.

* Reform of the arcane Rockefeller drug laws is also languishing even
though there is room for compromise between Gov. George Pataki's proposal
and the Assembly's.

* The governor and the Legislature promised to increase fees for attorneys
representing the poor in New York's civil and criminal courts. That
legislation is stalled as well.

* The state's Superfund program to clean up toxic sites is expiring and
needs to be reauthorized, though the actual money will have to await
passage of the budget.

* Auto insurance rates are among the highest in the nation. At some point,
voters are going to retaliate against a governor and a Legislature that
have not figured out how to help the owner instead of the insurer.

* Medical malpractice insurance assistance for doctors is expiring and
requires more than the short-term extension Albany plans to enact this week.

* On Wednesday, Mr. Pataki finally announced a much-needed plan for
modernizing New York elections. The proposal is late and the lawmakers must
act swiftly, especially on a proposal to increase poll workers' salaries to
$250 a day.

Meanwhile, the Legislature must devise some way to protect the city against
what could be a huge headache in its massive September primary. A recent
court ruling has said that voters must be allowed to write in candidates
for all positions, but the city's voting machines have only limited
capacity for write-ins. Millions of paper ballots may be required -- with
all the uncertainties that paper ballots bring -- unless Albany finds an
answer.

* A smoke-free workplace bill, which would relieve local governments of the
burden of trying to say no to the tobacco industry, deserves another try.

* A Senate proposal for year-round schools needs the attention of the
Assembly, since it could immediately open up 6,000 places in city schools
and lessen the need for double sessions in expanding areas like Queens.

The Senate majority leader, Joseph Bruno, insisted that no matter what is
left undone, the session has ended and his troops will return only when
there is something solid to talk about. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has
told his lawmakers to carry on for at least a few more days. There is too
much left to do to end the session now.