Diaz bills on committee agenda

The state Senate Committee on Investigations and Government Operations will meet at 12:30 tomorrow to consider seven bills sponsored by Bronx Sen. Ruben Diaz. Some of them, such as one "prohibiting outside work by a legislator during the term of office" would appear to have little chance of passage, and the one "prohibiting the use of lottery funds for any purpose other than education" wouldn't seem to accomplish much. But I wonder if the Republican leaders of the Senate, which they control by virtue of a one-seat two-vote majority, are going out of their way to accommodate Diaz, a socially conservative and economically liberal Democrat who is the most independent legislator in Albany. The meeting is in Room 810 of the LOB.