Sen. Ruben Diaz was pretty adament this afternoon: If there’s no special session called, he’s not making the drive to Albany.

As Senate Republicans and Assembly Democrats plan to return to Albany later this week with no plans for a special session so far, the Bronx Democrat said he wouldn’t want to go just to meet with his conference and collect a $161 per diem.

“If they call me for a special session I’m willing to do my duty,” Diaz said. “But just to go there and bill the state and do nothing it would be a shame. If they call me just for the conference to meet, I will not go there. I refuse to go there to spend money for the state; just to get a check.”

Diaz added that he hasn’t received any calls from Minority Leader John Sampson telling him to prepare for heading up to Albany later this week. But if anything, it calls into question why Senate Republicans and Assembly Democrats are even bothering to make the trip given the lack of an actual plan on what will be voted on (Assemblyman Joel Miller, R-Poughkeepsie, says he’s staying in Florida even if there is a special session, Gannett reported earlier).

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said he wouldn’t call a special session unless a plan had been agreed to.

Spokesman Josh Vlasto reinforced his boss’s stance in a statement issued Sunday:

We are talking about some pressing issues such as ideas on deficit reduction and the taxi bill for New York City. We have no resolution on these issues at this time and the Governor has said unless there is resolution he will not call a special session. We are talking on a daily basis and if the situation changes, we will let people know.

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