By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-848534.mp3
Albany, NY – The chaos that reigned over the last month in Albany has been reduced to an eerie silence at the State Capitol, as we hear in this report from Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas.
Events played out rapidly over the last day and a half: Pedro Estada's reconciliation with the democratic conference, restored the party majority. The Senate convened and work from Thursday night thru early Friday morning, passing over 130 bills before adjourning near 2am.
Several significant pieces of legislation remain in limbo - including mayoral control and gay marriage. Also unresolved: whether or not former MTA chairman Richard Ravitch's appointment is legal: Assemblyman Jim Tedisco questions why Governor Paterson didn't try to appoint a Lieutenant Governor months ago. Tedisco thinks Espadas return to the democratic side may have taken the wind out of the sails of the Ravitch appointment.
A judge won't decide until Wednesday whether it was legal for Paterson to appoint a lieutenant governor. Lawyers for Sens. Pedro Espada of the Bronx and Dean Skelos of Long Island told the judge Friday they needed more time to prepare their arguments. Both sides must were ordered to submit paperwork early next week.
Senate President Pro Tem Malcolm Smith sent out a memo announcing a regular Senate session will be held next week: Wednesday at 1 p.m. Governor David Paterson reacted by cancelling Friday's extraordinary session, allowing legislators to head back to their home districts.
Assemblyman Jim Tedisco is calling on legislative leaders in both houses to seize the moment to enact reforms: "It should not take five agonizing weeks and a 31 legislator Senate gridlock to produce reform that is in the best interest of the people of New York State. An agreement was finally reached last night to end the month-long impasse and chaos in Albany but what was missing was bipartisan reforms dictating how the state Legislature is to operate. I am calling on legislative leaders in both houses to seize this crucial moment and enact reforms that will make this a better state.
The Speaker must use his power and overwhelming majority in the Assembly to enact reforms that will make our legislative process more open, transparent, and efficient. He can do that by passing reform measures my Assembly Republican Conference has been advocating for years, including more participation by rank-and-file legislators, equal staff and member item allotments, and permission for each Assembly member to bring at least one piece of significant legislation to the floor for a proper debate and vote. It is our job as public servants to make sure we are accountable to the people who elect us. Speaker Silver has a golden opportunity to ensure every legislator has the ability to serve, not just their respective constituencies, but all the people of this great state by making state government more open and fair."
The Governor's office issued a statement Friday afternoon: "As the Governor made clear in his address on Wednesday, the people of New York deserve to have questions about the line of succession settled expeditiously. It is shocking that the same legal team that brought this action to a court in Nassau County in the middle of the night would now claim they did not have time to prepare their case. These are the same delay tactics that were used in the Senate chamber over the past five weeks -- now their lawyers have followed suit. Since the plaintiffs that brought this action no longer have a stake in the case, we hope that this matter can be resolved and Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch can begin working with Governor Paterson to help stabilize our State's economy and get New York on the road to recovery."