Gov. Andrew Cuomo made a hastily arranged call-in to former Gov. David Paterson’s radio show this afternoon, declaring that there was still enough time to achieve an agreement on the disclosure of teacher evaluations — it’s just not likely to be this week. cuomofile

“In truth some of the matters that are still open like teacher evaluation — these are not urgent matters,” Cuomo said.

Inherent in the interview was that talks had stalled on the disclosure issue, one of the final remaining items of the 2012 legislative session that ends Thursday.

“There’s nothing that we have left is that urgent frankly that it can’t take more time and frankly wouldn’t be better with more time,” Cuomo said. ”So the question with teacher evaluations my instinct is we have time.”

When Paterson suggested that lawmakers could return to Albany later in the year to deal with the issue, Cuomo said, “That’s right.”

The governor reiterated that he did not want to issue messages of necessity — a waiving of the three-day aging process for bills — this week. Any deal on outstanding legislation would have to be made this evening in order for it be voted on by Thursday.

Cuomo has been locked in negotiations with lawmakers and the state’s teachers unions in order to resolve the disclosure issue.

All involved — the governor, Assembly, Senate and the unions — oppose complete dislcosure of the evaluation information, a move that is favored by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Cuomo, meanwhile, praised the deals reached over the weekend including a temporary takeover of NYRA, the creation of the Justice Center, a measure that would close a child pornography loophole and one that would clamp down on online bullying.

Paterson, whose tenure in Albany was made all the more difficult, marveled at how Cuomo has been able to cajole the 212 lawmakers in getting his agenda passed.

“Large quantities of alcohol late at nigth with multiple lawmakers,” Cuomo joked.

 

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