We understand the reasoning behind the decision issued last week by the state Supreme Court judge who presided over the legal challenge to the state Senate power takeover. But until Gov. David Paterson took bold action this weekend to try to compel a resolution, we were prepared to push the parties involved to get this matter back in the courts.

It seemed like the only way to move the Senate forward, which it badly needs to do for the people of this state.

The original judge in the case had dismissed the Democrats' claim that the takeover by 30 Republican and two dissident Democratic senators was invalid. But in dismissing the case, the judge stated this his reason for doing so was because he didn't feel he should be intervening in another government branch's internal businesses. He directed all the parties involved to arrive at a solution on their own.

Each side immediately proclaimed that the decision bolstered its case.

And each side spent the remainder of the week attacking the other side - and accomplishing very little in terms of trying to reach a compromise.

That's where Paterson, the state's historically unpopular governor, has come in with what could turn out to be a turning point in his political career. The governor, after spending the better part of last week doing little more than contributing to the rhetoric, officially announced Sunday his plans to convene a special session of the Senate this week.

The regular business the Senate needs to address includes matters of importance to local governments, such as votes on sales tax extensions that counties need in order to maintain their budgets and votes on legislation that allow important local projects to move forward.

But unlike his failed special session last year that was supposed to be aimed at fixing the state's budget problems, Paterson does not plan to let senators off the hook this time if they fail to act. He says he'll keep the lawmakers in Albany every day - including holidays and weekends - until they figure out a way to start legislating again.

That won't make him many friends in the Senate chamber, but it shows that the governor is willing to take a tough stand on behalf of the taxpaying residents of this state.