Politics on the Hudson

Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno is keeping the pressure on Gov. Spitzer over getting a deal done before years’ end on a contract for the state’s thoroughbred racing franchise.

Bruno called on Spitzer to hold a public leaders’ meeting of the state Legislature to take on the issue on Dec. 10—two days before the Senate plans to convene and hopefully vote on the issue.

“We have discussed this issue for more than three years, and with only
26 days remaining we must move as quickly as possible to reach consensus in an open and public way,” Bruno said in a statement.

The New York Racing Association holds the current franchise for Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga racetracks, but the contract expires at year’s end.