Governor David Paterson is ordering state lawmakers back to Albany next week to address the state’s fiscal crisis. The state Legislature ended Tuesday’s special session without striking a deal to close New York’s three-point-two-billion-dollar budget gap. Governor Patersonwarned New York could go broke before the holidays. Paterson insists Tuesday’s special session was not a failure with progress made behind closed doors. He expects a deal during a special session on either Monday or Tuesday.

Governor Paterson made some progress in the state Senate on the issue of same-sex marriage. The governor is receiving assurances from the top three Senate Democratic leaders that gay marriage will be brought to the Senate floor for a debate and a vote before the end of the year.

This would be the first time the state Senate has taken up the issue.