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Albany, NY - The state comptroller announced today that he has frozen $560,000 in vouchers for state senators' pay, as the governor held a meeting today to try to resolve the legislative leadership crisis.

Saying that the State Senate's "stalemate is costing taxpayers across the state millions of dollars a day," State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said his office is withholding more than 250 vouchers, until the legislative body's power struggle can be resolved.

The withheld payments include lawmakers' daily $160 travel vouchers for transportation, lodging and food.

The comptroller also released a report that says the Senate's failure to act has cost the city $902 million in lost sales taxes and business taxes.

DiNapoli also filed a lawsuit in the state supreme court that asks judges to "clarify the constitutional and statutory obligations surrounding this matter."

Governor David Paterson has threatened every day since last Wednesday to withhold senators' pay.

"Deadlines have been broken," said Paterson today. "I don't think the [state] Legislature should be paid at this time. For myself, I have issued proclamations for special sessions through July 6. Yes, the legislators are spending the Fourth of July weekend in Albany, hopefully resolving this conflict."

Not surprisingly, lawmakers are speaking out against the salary freeze.

"I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but if this session ended on July 2, we would be working in the district offices, we answer letters, we read letters," said Democratic State Senator William Stachowski of Erie County. "So we have all this work we are supposed to be doing out of session. The fact that you are in session or not does not constitute if you are working or not. The reality is there is a lot more to our jobs than just being in session, the short number of days that we are in session each year."

Meanwhile, both Republican and Democratic senators held a meeting this afternoon with Paterson, and while no deal was reached it appears that the governor will play a larger role in mediating the conflict.

The governor and the senators will meet again tomorrow.

The state senators will remain in Albany through the Fourth of July weekend, after Paterson ordered them to attend special sessions every day through July 6.

However, Bronx Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. told NY1 he will not be there on Sunday.

"Sunday, I will be in my church; I will not be here," he said. "And if he wants to send the troopers to arrest me in my church, he can do that."

The Senate held their now-daily meeting at 3 p.m. and gaveled in and out without voting on any legislation.

According to the Associated Press, the stalemate is not only weighing on taxpayers' nerves, but also their wallets.

The AP says it has cost taxpayers more than $94,000. The figure includes about $9,500 daily for the expenses being incurred by the 59 senators that do not live in the Albany area.

It remains unknown at this point how much comp time senators will eventually have to give staffers to cover overtime.

The stalemate began on June 8, when all 30 Republicans senators and two Democrats voted to oust Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith. One of the rogue Democrats, State Senator Hiram Monserrate, then changed his allegiance to the Democrats.