Gov. Paterson Signs New Exemptions into Law Despite Mayor Bloomberg’s Objection

Gov. Paterson ignored Mayor Bloomberg‘s pleas on Thursday and signed into law new bankruptcy rules – a measure Hizzoner deemed deadly.

“This is a bill that will kill people,” Bloomberg fumed this summer after the Daily News revealed the bankruptcy protection bill prevents the city from towing the cars of parking ticket scofflaws.

“If nobody follows the parking restrictions because they know their car’s not going to get towed away, they’ll start parking in front of fire hydrants,” Bloomberg warned.

Supporters of the bill – designed to protect people in financial distress from losing modest homes, cars, wedding rings and other personal valuables to creditors – had promised to tweak it to spare the city’s scofflaw towing program.

The state Senate amended the bill, but the Assembly never did – and the unchanged version landed on Paterson’s desk.

A spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said the Legislature is expected to amend the law next year – and Bloomberg is already pushing hard for the change.

The bill was the last one that Paterson, who leaves office Dec. 31, signed into law as governor.

“Though this is not a perfect bill, the benefits far outweigh its concerns,” he said in a statement that urged the Legislature to address the city’s concerns.