NEW THIS MORNING

NEW THIS MORNING: * Senate Democrats walked out of the chamber before midnight last night after a motion was adopted to end the debate on redistricting. As a result, they missed the vote to approve the new lines and a constitutional amendment, which passed the chamber 36-0, the Journal News reports: http://bit.ly/wTX8Vf * After months of veto promises and condemnations, Gov. Andrew Cuomo released a statement at 5:35 a.m. This morning praising the passage of a constitutional amendment as"a major step toward finally reforming the state's broken redistricting process": http://bit.ly/x1Rcfi * The pension reform bill, which would create a new, less generous retirement tier, cap overtime accrual toward pension calculations and raise the retirement age to 63, was posted just before 3 a.m. Both the Senate and Assembly are set to act on it this morning, Capital Tonight says: http://bit.ly/xNGp0S * The pension bill would preserve the 401(k)-option, but only for non-union, high-income earners like agency commissioners, the Daily News says: http://nydn.us/zPMnaP * The first salary increase for state judges in 13 years appears headed for approval in the upcoming budget deal, the Associated Press reports: http://bit.ly/xeCrOq * Ex-Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr.'s corruption trial started yesterday, with prosecutors accusing the senator of massive theft, and his defense attorney chalking it up to sloppy bookkeeping, the New York Post says: http://nyp.st/wd3KsE * On the same day HBO halted production of its horse racing series "Luck" over a series of horse fatalities, Cuomo ordered an inquiry into a rash of horse deaths at the Aqueduct racetrack that have occurred since last November, the Daily News reports: http://nydn.us/Aw0hyI