Updated: NY Senate Dems claim quorum, start passing bills

[Drum]

Source: Associated Press

Updated: NY Senate Dems claim quorum, start passing bills


By Michael Virtanen • The Associated Press • June 30, 2009

ALBANY(AP) - Democrats claimed control of the split New York Senate on Tuesday, declaring a quorum after a Republican took a short cut through the chamber because an exterior parlor had been blocked by Democrats for a press conference they never held.
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The Democrats began voting on a host of bills stalled by a three-week power struggle and declaring them passed.

It wasn't clear if the Democrats engineered getting GOP Sen. Frank Padavan on the floor, or simply exploited his presence. In any case, the gambit was immediately rejected by Democratic Gov. David Paterson, who said he wouldn't sign any of the legislation.

Paterson ordered the Senate back into a special session at 7 p.m. to take up important, time-senstive bills. They include extensions of several measures set to expire at midnight Tuesday, including mayoral control of New York City schools and a freeze on medical malpractice insurance rates.

More at:
http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20090630/NEWS10/90630024/Updated--NY-Senate-Dems-claim-quorum--start-passing-bills&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

Read more: http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20090630/NEWS10/90630024/Updated--NY-Senate-Dems-claim-quorum--start-passing-bills&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

[annabanana]

1. Ok - that's just funny..

They ROUTED the guy THROUGH the Chamber so they could vote?

What a friggen circus; I am so proud of my State...

[hedgehog]

8. The worst part is that this circus has been going on for 40 years

with little comment besides the whining about 3 men in a room.

Here's one way the leaders maintain control - if you chair a committee, you get a "in lieu of detailed itemized expenditures" a lu-lu:


- Kruger, who ducked out without speaking to reporters, will chair the Finance Committee ($34,000 lu-lu), which Smith said does have a budget of between $5 million and $6 million. Sen. Liz Krueger will be vice chair of that committee (that's a new position, and so has no existing lu-lu; she's also chair of Select Committee on Budget Reform).

- Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. will chair the Aging Committe ($12,500 lu-lu), and also will head a new Latino Task Force.

- Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. will chair the Housing Committee ($12,500 lu-lu) and will also serve as vice chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, the most powerful committee in the Senate, (Smith is the chairman) and president of the Senate for Urban Policy.

http://www.lizkrueger.com/news/news477.html

[Q3JR4]

10. ....

:rofl:

Q3JR4
And the hilarity ensues. New Yorkers must be proud of their senate.

[shadowknows69]

11. I hear that. I watched the sham 15 minute "special session" this afternoon.

If we had the resources we'd probably bail on NY tomorrow.

[David__77]

19. If it gets marriage equality passed, I'm for it.

Let the right-wingers eat shit.

[No Elephants]

22. You should be. What an ingenious way to get a quorum. And they were alert, too.

Have an interesting primary season!

[hedgehog]

2. This quote is priceless:

"We've got to put this trickery behind us," said Sen. Pedro Espada, the dissident Bronx Democrat whose alliance with Republicans has divided the chamber 31-31. "We have got to respect the institution."

[Lasher]

6. Oh man, Espada's got some kinda nerve.

What a hypocrite!

[WriteDown]

3. My home state...

at its finest. You can almost hear the circus music.

[No Elephants]

16. And now you're in Texas, circus heaven, home of the King of the Clowns.

[WriteDown]

18. Actually, Dallas is quite blue as is Austin..

You're current location remains shrouded in mystery though.

[No Elephants]

23. Yes, I know about Austin. Dallas is Dummya's new home, though. But neither has

anything to do with your post about NY or my reply to it, nor does my location (which is no mystery-I've posted it lots of times).

[WriteDown]

24. NY is where I was born and raised.

It will always be home base, but I had to move to work so I find myself here.

Helps if you update your profile.

[Fearless]

4. That's so amazing. I think it made my day.

:rofl:


It's times like this that I love politics. Too bad they couldn't do that for Gov. Sanford too. Detour him into the SC Capitol!

:rofl:

[Ian David]

5. Patterson's being a dick. He should sign the bills. n/t

[Historic NY]

7. The Fucking Albany Circus continues........its time to vote all of them out. .

[hedgehog]

9. We did our part up here in Oswego County, then the guy turned around and

failed to support the equal rights for marriage bill!

Senate Majority leader Malcolm Smith is counting heads and may be close to having enough votes to pass the bill. One head he's not counting on is that of North Country Senator Darrel Aubertine. The Democrat from Cape Vincent is against same-sex marriage,

http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/13575/supporters-push-but-aubertine-stands-firm-against-same-sex-marriage

[shadowknows69]

12. That's because even the Dems are Rethugs up here.

I don't think I even voted for Darrel, I didn't vote R either, but that's beside the point. I got one call from his campaign people for donations (and several metric tons of mail) and the person on the phone couldn't tell me one position he was strongly for. Just kept blowing the same smoke about how he's a down home farmer guy who cares about the North Country. The only thing any NY politician has done for us is bring more Military Industrial Complex money here so that if there are ever serious cutbacks half the towns up here are doomed.

[defendandprotect]

21. Was Elliott Spitzer . . .

having any positive effect on this?

I'm a native New Yorker now in NJ and I can't keep track of what happens at

State level here, either. Last week when they argued budget we got TV coverage

of it on one of the PBS stations, but most of it is a mystery to me -- except that

they want to get rid of Corzine as quickly as they got rid of Florio and ....

Mc . . ? can't think of the name of the gay governor.

[Endangered Specie]

13. and I thought the trick the Ds pulled on the Rs in NC to get the lottery passed was dirty...

[pam4water]

14. What ever works!

[eilen]

15. I wish we could hold a special election

and vote out every incumbent, especially the senators from the boroughs and Long Island. And then exile Golisano.

[No Elephants]

17. Sounds like it's past time for hotly contested primaries.

[JonQ]

20. Wow, that's pretty scummy

even for politicians.

Is this legal?