After finally resolving the leadership issue that left the State Senate in a stalemate for more than a month, senators returned to Albany for a two-day session that went into the wee hours of the morning — passing legislation and adopting rules reforms that some members characterized as historic.
With the Democrats back in control as the Majority Party, the Senate adopted rules changes on Thursday, July 16 to increase transparency, give individual senators more power to bring legislation to the floor and limit the terms on leadership and committee chair positions.
“After months of discussion, we put these reforms into the Senate rules and began the process of restoring the peoples’ faith and confidence in our state government,” read a joint statement from leaders in both the Democratic and Republican Party. “No longer will the Senate be run by leaders making all the decisions.”
The initial chaos in Albany erupted on Monday, June 8, when Bronx Senator Pedro Espada Jr. and Queens Democratic 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. Monserrate flipped back to the Democrats a week later, and Espada decided to rejoin the Democrats on July 10 – with the new title of Majority Leader.
Monserrate said that the hectic 38 days, which included 31 days of inaction and then the passage of rules changes, helped wipe away 40 years of corruption and bossism inside the Senate.
“Since no one senator has a monopoly on good ideas for the state, no one state senator will ever again have the power to silence his or her colleagues,” Monserrate said. “The days when leaders of either party have a stranglehold on all stages of the legislative process are over.”
One of the pieces of legislation the Senate passed and Governor David Paterson signed into law extended the health insurance for unemployed workers from 18 months to 36 months.
“Unemployed New Yorkers must be assured they will have health insurance coverage while in a transitional period,” said State Senator Toby Stavisky. “In an economic climate where so many workers are being laid off or forced to work only part-time, it is more important than ever to alleviate some of the stress felt by families facing unemployment.”
