By Howard Koplowitz
State Sen. Frank Padavan (R−Bellerose) defended his Republican colleagues Tuesday and the two dissident Democrats who voted to put the GOP in charge of the Senate, pointing to a list of reforms passed right after the Monday ouster vote.
Padavan said in a telephone interview the reforms, which included the equitable distribution of member items, the sharing of resources and term limits for committee chairs, show that the Senate is “making a stride forward.”
“This is a structural change and true reform of how the Senate operates,” he said. “There will be a marked difference between how we operate and how the Assembly operates.”
As Democrats directed their anger at Rochester billionaire Tom Golisano, who helped orchestrate the coup, Padavan said Democrats should remember that Golisano’s Political ActionCommittee backed them. But the upstate Independent Party member had a change−of−heart after reforms were not enacted, the senator said.
“His PAC gave Smith a lot of money on the promise of reform,” Padavan said, referring to Golisano’s Responsible New York.
The coup elevated state Sen. Dean Skelos (R−Rockville Centre) to majority leader and state Sen. Pedro Espada (R−Bronx) to president of the Senate.
Padavan, a Senate veteran of 36 years, said he was not angered that Espada, who was elected in November after serving two separate stints in the upper house, was rising fast.
“It’s not normal, but look at President Obama,” Padavan said.
