Report: Sen. Monserrate returns to the Democrats; presser at 11:30

Sen. Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens) -- one of the two Democrats who left their party last week in a power grab with the Republicans -- has returned to his party and is expected to make the announcement at a morning press conference at 11:30 today.

This brings the Senate to a 31-to-31 vote deadlock.

The coup group was scheduled to open session at 3 p.m. unless a state Supreme Court justice bars the legality of that takeover.

The Daily News reports if it's legal, Senators Dean Skelos and dissident Democrat Pedro Espada (Bronx) will be in control of the equally split Senate.

Insiders told the paper no matter what the court rules today, there will be some sort of power sharing needed in the senate.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver told the New York Post he is ready to send his members home unless something gets done in the Senate. He says they have no reason to stay.

Those two renegade Democrats had been under intense pressure from their party to leave the coup.

Even as of late yesterday, Espada was telling reporters both he and Monserrate would not return to vote with their party.

Monserrate also told The Daily News his shift would only come with a leadership change.

The latest developments bring into question the leadership of the democratic conference.

Reports -- including one from CBS 6 political analyst -- Post State Editor Fred Dicker -- say Brooklyn Senator John Sampson is likely to be taking control.