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NEW YORK, NY May 31, 2007 —State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says he wants to hold public hearings on Mayor Bloomberg's plan to charge drivers who enter Manhattan. WNYC's Beth Fertig has more.

REPORTER: Silver didn't say when he would schedule the hearings, only that he wants to meet with the Assembly's committee leaders first. But with just 3 weeks to go until the legislature breaks for the summer, Mayor Bloomberg is urging lawmakers to act quickly. He appealed to Silver - who represents the Lower East Side - by saying revenues from congestion pricing could be used to fund a full 2nd Avenue Subway that goes all the way downtown.

BLOOMBERG: We do not have the money to finish the 2nd Avenue Subway line, building it from the 90s to the 60s doesn't accomplish anything.

REPORTER: Albany leaders have been cautious about Bloomberg's controversial proposal. Silver, the governor and the Republican state senate leader all say it's worth a closer look. But in the world of Albany, observers say it's hard to tell if the 3 are stalling or planning to cut a political deal. For WNYC, I'm Beth Fertig.