State Senate Manages "Two" Short Sessions, No Work Done
This is the State Senate's idea of "meeting" today: The Senate Democrats met in the Senate chamber, gaveled in, said the Pledge of Allegiance, have a moment of silence and gaveled out. Then the Senate Republicans entered, gaveled in, said the Pledge, had a moment of silence and gaveled out. Capitol Confidential writes, "So there has been progress today. No camping out on the rostrum, no dueling sessions." The Daily Politics says the Republicans were faster by 42 seconds, but that's because Senator Craig Johnson (D-Long Island) asked for a moment of silence to remember the death of Rabbi Menachem Schneerson.
Senators of both parties found something to agree on: Criticizing Governor David Paterson, who threatened to withhold the lawmakers' pay. Senators Carl Kruger, Hiram Monserrate and Eric Adams asked Paterson to sign 14 bills the Senate Democrats passed during the special session; PolitickerNY reports, "They maintain bills passed in that session are not legally sound because the Assembly, while it has passed bills in its regular session, has not passed the legislation in extraordinary session. They view Paterson's reluctance to sign the legislation as a tacit acknowledgment of this fact, and his calling of the hobbled State Senate into special session is abusive." Adams said, in remarks directed at Paterson, "Stop throwing gasoline on an already complicated issue."
On the other side, Senator George Winner (R) said, "I just think that the governor is making a fool out of himself." And Senator Pedro Espada Jr. said that his and Dean Skelos' meeting with Democrats went well, "We acknowledged that we’ve together, through this process, have brought obviously a lot of disrespect to this institution. It’s something we don’t want to continue. I think there’s a great spirit of cooperation."
Still, the most searing quote is Senator Kevin Parker's, who called Paterson a "coke snorting, staff-banging governor."
