By Courtney Dentch
State Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) has been promoted to vice president pro tempore of the Senate, one of the most influential posts in the chamber.
The appointment came Friday from Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno (R-Brunswick), after Sen. Owen Johnson (R-Babylon), who had previously held the position, was given a new post as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Johnson had served as vice president pro tempore since Bruno appointed him in 1995.
The position of vice president pro tempore is something of an oversight and troubleshooting job, targeting problems as they arise within the Legislature, Padavan said.
“The leadership position calls upon the individual to involve him or herself in any given area that the Senate is currently embroiled in toward making an appropriate resolution,” he said. “It’s a position that is not specific to any particular area in the Senate.”
Padavan has served in the Senate representing eastern Queens for the past 30 years, and Bruno is hoping that experience will help the Queens legislator in his new position.
“As vice president pro tempore, Sen. Padavan will serve as a key adviser to me and my colleagues in the majority, which will benefit from his knowledge and experience gained from three decades of service in the Senate,” Bruno said in a statement.
