Some NY state lawmakers skip town to catch solar eclipse as late budget negotiations drag on

ALBANY – Some New York state legislators skipped town Monday to watch the solar eclipse — even as negotiations on the already-late budget continue to drag on.

Members of the Assembly gave themselves most of the day off so they could return to their districts to catch the celestial phenomenon, while about a dozen state senators ditched a vote on a temporary spending measure to keep the government open.

“It’s insane,” one Albany insider remarked of Assembly members holding an unusual session on Sunday to pass the funding extension — so that they wouldn’t have to be in the capital for the eclipse.

Albany was not in the zone of totality for the eclipse, which came as legislative leaders and Gov. Kathy Hochul continue to work on hammering out an agreement on the must-pass state budget, which was due April 1.

“We’re certainly used to doing things in the dark around here. So you know, we could work through it,” state Sen. Tom O’Mara (R-Chemung) quipped on the Senate floor while debating the stopgap legislation Monday morning.

Of the Senate’s 63 members, around 12 skipped the vote for the eclipse, many representing districts in the path of totality, where the moon shrouded the sun in complete darkness for about four minutes.

State Sen. Jeremey Cooney (D-Monroe) was amongst three Democrats who ditched. Instead of legislating, the Rochester senator posted pics on X of his pup wearing “Cooney for Senate” branded eclipse glasses.

The Assembly held a remote conference to discuss the budget Monday morning and will return to Albany Tuesday — ahead of both chambers taking a planned recess before sundown to recognize the Eid al-Fitr Muslim holiday, which carries on until sundown Wednesday.

Despite state funding expiring on Thursday, the Assembly wants to wait until Friday to come back and pass another extension.

“The lawmakers could just walk out of the chambers in the state Capitol, look up and maybe get  some inspiration to get the budget done,” state Conservative Party Chairman Gerry Kassar told The Post.

Many did just that – at least the staring into space part.

Hundreds of lawmakers – including some members of the Assembly who stayed in town – staffers and politicos flocked outside to the Empire State Plaza where a loudspeaker played eerie music as the skies darkened.

A few lawmakers, led by Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages (D-Nassau), even broke into a rendition of Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

Former Gov. David Paterson, who presided over budget talks in 2010 that dragged on until August, cut the lawmakers some slack.

“I think we can forgive the Assembly for taking an extra day off,” Paterson, 69, told The Post. “Hopefully there won’t be any more once-in-a-lifetime events and they can get this budget passed.”

The Democrat added that if the legislature “can get the budget done by the 15th or the 22nd, that will be fine,” noting what New Yorkers don’t want is a repeat of last year when negotiations dragged on for a month and it took until May for the state to get a spending plan.

Paterson, who is now legally blind, vividly described eclipses from decades past that he had made a point to watch, which ended up being duds.

Merchants said lawmakers should be focused on addressing crime — especially in light of Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie’s refusal to address increased penalties for perps who attack retail workers as part of the budget.

“They should see the light and address the darkness of crime,” said Francisco Marte, head of the NYC Bodega and Small Business Association.

Nelson Eusebio, political director of the National Supermarket Association said, “Their priority is less work and more crime. Maybe they’ll finally see the light in dealing with crime.”