Modest advances toward reform.(Main)

Byline: ERIN DUGGAN Capitol bureau

ALBANY - Neither the Republicans who rule the Senate nor the Democrats who control the Assembly are yielding much power in new rules they plan to adopt today.

But, reform advocates say, the Assembly rules changes undoubtedly are a step in the right direction in overcoming New York's reputation among some as the most dysfunctional government in the country. Still, they could go farther, activists said.

As for the Senate, proponents of reform weren't sure what to say. As of late last week, all the GOP majority had issued was a list of bullet points and a report saying what it planned to do, but not the actual language of the rules that will be voted on.

"The new spirit of openness in the Senate is being initiated by withholding their proposal from the public," said Robert Moore, executive director of …