ALBANY - New York's Senate failed to end its two-week power standoff on Monday's final day of the regular session, prompting Gov. David Paterson to order senators into days of special sessions.

The action sets up a Tuesday showdown in which the governor will compel feuding senators into session under an agenda he sets, but which may have no single leader to open the proceedings.

“The people's business has been delayed long enough,” Paterson told reporters on the final day of the 2009 regular session.

The governor spoke as the Republican-dominated coalition again attempted to hold a session while the Democrat conference boycotted.

Without the Democrats, there weren't enough members present to create a quorum, which is necessary before the Senate can vote on bills or resolutions.

Paterson ordered senators to stay in Albany Tuesday, and likely for several more days to take action required by the end of the month.

Pending measures include authorizing local governments to raise municipal taxes needed for budgets due as early as July 1, extending mayoral control of New York City schools and continuing to provide lower-cost energy to companies in exchange for job growth.

The Democratic governor also says he will require additional special sessions to force the

Senate to consider other bills, including the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Although senators must attend special sessions, they aren't required to vote.

“I will call the Senate into session every day until the people's business is discharged and deliberations are held on a number of important issues,” Paterson said, citing long-standing proposals for government reform, greater fiscal discipline, and legalizing same-sex marriage.

“It's important for the governor to keep the pressure up on the Senate,” said Blair Horner of the New York Public Interest Research Group. “Whether this is fruitful or not depends more on the Senate than the governor.”

Meanwhile, the Democratic conference and the coalition of 30 Republicans and Democratic Sen. Pedro Espada of the Bronx said they made progress toward a temporary power-sharing arrangement to act on bills with deadlines at the end of the month.

The Democratic conference and the Republican-led coalition, split 31-31 in the chamber, have been unable to muster a quorum since the coalition voted to seize control of the Senate from the Democrats June 8. One dissident Democrat's defection from the coalition resulted in the draw.

Democratic Sen. Jeffrey Klein of the Bronx said the two sides are nearing a deal to share power by temporarily rotating presidents of the Senate, a Republican one day and a Democrat the next, to rule on procedural disputes. It would also create two equal floor leaders instead of a single majority leader to lead the support and opposition of bills. A committee of three Democrats and three Republicans would decide which bills would debated or voted on each day. The temporary president would break ties.

“Silly recommendations deserve the trash bin because you can't have the 'leader musical chairs' everyday,” Espada said. “Now more than ever we need stability.”

Espada's fellow Democrats continue to have hard feelings for him because he cost the party the majority they thought they won in the November elections.

“Pedro Espada plays by Pedro Espada's rules,” said Klein, a top leader in the Democratic conference. “The rest of us are here to represent the people.”

As Senate president, Espada would be next in line to be governor if the office was vacated.

“I can't support Sen. Espada being a heartbeat away from governor,” said Sen. Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat. “The governor has powers I don't think I could trust to Sen. Espada.”