A different week, new plot twists and the same result – zero legislative action by the State Senate.
The Albany gridlock entered into its 31st day on Wednesday, July 8, as Governor David Paterson addressed the state at 5 p.m. to announce that he was appointing former MTA Head Richard Ravitch as the Lieutenant Governor – a move whose legality is sure to be challenged.
“There is nothing in the Constitution or in the law that says I can’t fill the vacant post of Lieutenant Governor,” said Paterson, who said he wanted to bring some semblance of stability to the state during these difficult times.
While the Lieutenant Governor would preside over the Senate and act as Governor in absence of Paterson, some lawmakers already expressed skepticism about whether the appointment would break the stalemate of legislative inaction. Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats have been able to establish a quorum of 32 Senators required to take up legislation and having Ravitch as Lieutenant Governor would not provide a quorum.
The idea of the Governor appointing a Lieutenant Governor was floated earlier in the week by Queens Assemblymember Michael Gianaris and members of good government groups. However, that same day Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said he believed it was unconstitutional, and that a legal challenge would likely take months to resolve.
“In addition, contrary to the proponents’ goal, we believe it would not provide long term political stability but rather the opposite, by involving the Governor in a political ploy that would wind through the courts for many months,” Cuomo’s statement said.
Paterson’s announcement came on the same day that the 62 Senators did not receive their pay for the previous two weeks. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said earlier that he tried to stay out of the Senate’s mess to uphold the separation of the different houses of government, but he filed suit with the Supreme Court to withhold the Senators’ pay for the most recent period.
“Taxpayers are paying a very high price. The stalemate is costing taxpayers across the state millions of dollars a day,” DiNapoli said. “As the state’s fiscal officer, I have a responsibility to taxpayers to safeguard their interests. These are difficult fiscal times. The state needs leadership and action.”
On Tuesday, after Republicans adjourned a special session, a few Democratic Senators began lambasting Republicans for refusing to participate and tend the people’s business.
“Our colleagues across the aisle have drawn a line in the sand, have sharpened the bills of this state and put it to the necks of our citizens by blackmailing us,” Brooklyn State Senator Eric Adams said during the Tuesday afternoon session. “The only way they will sit down and pass a bill is if we recognize who they want us to recognize as the leadership.”
For nearly a month, Senators from both sides have argued about who has control over the leadership of the Senate, and although both parties have proposed power sharing plans, no agreement has been reached.
The reform coalition, which is made up of the 30 Republicans and Bronx Senator Pedro Espada Jr., sent a new power sharing proposal to all 31 Democratic Senators on Tuesday, July 7. The agreement, which would be in effect through the end of session in 2010, gives all members of the Senate equal levels of staff, equal access to services such as printing, mail and community projects, and allows all members to bring bills to the floor for a vote.
“This certainly is something that should not be rejected by anyone,” said Queens Republican Senator Frank Padavan.
During the Fourth of July weekend, Senators from both sides of the aisle remained in Albany and gaveled in and out of the special sessions without taking up any legislative business.
The initial chaos in Albany erupted on Monday, June 8, when Espada Jr. and Queens Democrat Senator Hiram Monserrate voted with the Republicans in favor of a new coalition government – flipping the Senate Majority from 32-30 in favor of the Democrats to 32-30 in favor of the Republicans. Democrats contend that they adjourned the session prior to the vote, and a week later Monserrate flipped back to supporting the Democrats, creating a 31 -31 tie and a stalemate that has continued through today.
