Baby Huey And The Dems Back In Power
Posted on Thursday, 9 of July , 2009 at 7:33 pm
COMMENTARY
After costing state taxpayers millions of dollars and delaying state business for over a month, Bronx Democrat Sen. Pedro Espada has ended his power play and switched back from the Republican side to the Democrats.
In return for his nonsense, Espada who assumed office in the 33rd District earlier this year, gains the title of Senate majority leader, a sad commentary for all of New York and especially upstate New York.
With Espada returning to the Democratic conference, the Democrats have a 32-30 majority in the Senate for the first time since June 8.
Former Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith is now Senate president.
Espada’s move comes the day after Gov. David Paterson’s appointment of a lieutenant governor to preside over the Senate which gave the control of the Senate back to the Democrats. It had been deadlocked at 31-31 for 31 days.
Paterson’s appointment, which Attorney General Andrew Cuomo says is unconstitutional, is the subject of litigation by the Republicans who have obtained a temporary restraining order prohibiting the appointment from taking effect.
The 62-member Senate met in their 19th day of a special session Thursday but again accomplished no business. The regular session ended on June 22.
Paterson’s appointment of Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor in defiance of Cuomo’s opinion of unconstitutionality has now obligated taxpayers to even more money as the state must pay private attorneys to argue the governor’s case before the state Supreme Court.
Cuomo has said the Attorney General’s office doesn’t represent one government branch against another.
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2009/07/09/tro_blocks/ 7-09-09
UPDATE: An Appellate judge in the 2nd Department has overturned the TRO. http://www.courts.state.ny.us/whatsnew/2009_07_09_17_23_45.pdf http://www.courts.state.ny.us/whatsnew/pdf/skelosvspaterson.pdf
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Category: Constitution, Entertainment, New York State, Opinion, Politics, Taxes
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