ALBANY -- The Democratic senators who locked themselves in the Senate chamber have opened the doors to reporters and the public just before their Republican foes showed up for a possible special session of the deadlocked body.

It still wasn't clear who would preside over the session Gov. David Paterson called to break a two-week legislative stalemate and get the Senate moving on issues vital to the state.

The brinksmanship is the latest confrontation since Republicans tried to regain a majority with the help of two dissident Democrats, one of whom later flipped support back to his own party. That left both sides deadlocked with 31 votes each.

The Republican-led faction and the Democratic conference failed in talks earlier Tuesday to work out a possible power-sharing arrangement.