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Senate Meets, Fails to End Standoff

Saturday, Jul 4, 2009 | Updated 4:30 PM EDT

AP Photo/Tim Roske

Yet another unproductive session.

Battling leaders of New York's Senate met for a brief Independence Day session, but the standoff remains unchanged with no agreement on who controls the chamber.

     Senators who served in the military led the chamber in the Pledge of Allegiance Saturday. The Senate has been gridlocked since a June 8 coup by a Republican-dominated coalition over the Democratic conference.

The Senate is now evenly split after one of the dissidents defected back to the Democratic conference. Action on critical bills has been stymied for weeks.

Senators from both sides expect to meet again in the next few days, but none say a deal is imminent.