June 9 (Bloomberg) -- Republicans reclaimed control of the New York state Senate with help from two Democrats, who rebelled against a $131.8 billion budget they said was negotiated in secret.
Pedro Espada from the Bronx and Hiram Monserrate from Queens sided with 30 Republicans on key votes to change the Senate’s leadership. Democrats immediately challenged the claim and described the action as illegal. Governor David Paterson called it “despicable.”
The maneuver, just two weeks before the Legislature’s scheduled June 22 adjournment, leaves in doubt the outcome of bills to allow gay marriage, create a new money-saving pension category for future state and city workers and approve taxes to balance New York City’s budget.
“We would be in uncharted waters,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in an impromptu news conference in Manhattan. “I expect to have an on-time budget, but we have to have reasonable assurances that revenue will be there. And if this were to get held up -- and I don’t know if that’s the case, this is hypothetical -- we would not be facing anything that we’ve seen before.”
Democrats say they will go to court arguing that they adjourned the Senate session before the Republicans named Dean Skelos as the new majority leader, ousting Malcolm Smith.
Democrats in November took the lead in the Senate for the first time in 43 years, with a 32-30 majority. They have controlled the Assembly and the offices of governor, attorney general and comptroller since 2006.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&sid=aiq_YGCzi630
LOL
The end is near.
Pedro Espada from the Bronx and Hiram Monserrate from Queens sided with 30 Republicans on key votes to change the Senate’s leadership. Democrats immediately challenged the claim and described the action as illegal. Governor David Paterson called it “despicable.”
The maneuver, just two weeks before the Legislature’s scheduled June 22 adjournment, leaves in doubt the outcome of bills to allow gay marriage, create a new money-saving pension category for future state and city workers and approve taxes to balance New York City’s budget.
“We would be in uncharted waters,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in an impromptu news conference in Manhattan. “I expect to have an on-time budget, but we have to have reasonable assurances that revenue will be there. And if this were to get held up -- and I don’t know if that’s the case, this is hypothetical -- we would not be facing anything that we’ve seen before.”
Democrats say they will go to court arguing that they adjourned the Senate session before the Republicans named Dean Skelos as the new majority leader, ousting Malcolm Smith.
Democrats in November took the lead in the Senate for the first time in 43 years, with a 32-30 majority. They have controlled the Assembly and the offices of governor, attorney general and comptroller since 2006.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&sid=aiq_YGCzi630
LOL
The end is near.
