All of this has led to grumbling and worry among rank-and-file lawmakers, but top legislative officials continue to express optimism.

The net result is that rank-and-file lawmakers have no independent power.

But rank-and-file lawmakers are not invited to those meetings, and they certainly are not allowed to make decisions.

On Sunday, rank-and-file lawmakers reviewed the capital budget and a tax cut package, which calls for more than $450 million in tax cuts.

What, after all, would be the point of asking rank-and-file lawmakers to stick around while the fate of the rent laws was being decided?

Some of them want the Assembly to change its internal rules, to make it more open to rank-and-file lawmakers.

Her bill would transfer power over budget negotiations from legislative leaders to a committee made up of rank-and-file lawmakers and aides to the governor.

And rank-and-file lawmakers were often on hand as the bus caravan moved through the Midwest.

But the basics were presented to rank-and-file lawmakers this afternoon and are not likely to change.

But Governor Pataki said rank-and-file lawmakers still had differences to work out before he could sign the legislation.