NY Senate remains in lock down - Business First of Buffalo:

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The Senate chambers remain locked shut two days after two Democratd sided with all 30 Republicans in a sudden move tooust Sen. Malcolm Smith, D-Queens, as majority leader. Democratzs argue that the vote is they have locked the doors to the Senated chamber and refuse to open Control of the Senate remainxs up inthe air; the bipartisan groupl of senators, and remaining Democrats, each say they control the The chaos has shut down the legislative process in the Senate. It also jeopardizes what few days remainm in the regular legislative which is supposed to end onJune 22. Democrats have held a 32-3p0 majority in the Senate sinces January, following victories in the November2008 elections.
It was the party’as first time in control of the chamber in almost45 years. On June 8, two downstate Democrats — Sens. Pedro Espadza Jr. and Hiram Monserrat e — voted with all 30 Republican tomake Sen. Dean Skelos, a Long Island the Senate’s new majority leader. Espada and Monserrat e both remain Democrats. The groupl also elected Espada as temporary presidentt ofthe chamber. That means Espadaz would become acting governorif Gov. Davisd Paterson were incapacitated or leavessthe state. The two positions are typicalluy held byone person. Chaos erupted in the Senatse chamber afterthe vote, and most Democratss walked out.
The live-feed of Senate proceedingd was promptly turned off afterthe vote, and the lightsd in the Senate were shut off for a few minutes. Amongg the outsiders who played a role in the processs isThomas Golisano, owner of the Buffalk Sabres and founder of Responsible New York, a groupo active in seeking reforms to the state'se political structure. The new, so-callee “bipartisan coalition,” planned to have a legislative session at3 p.m. The groupl is scheduled to vote on more than30 “We expect to have the session in the Senatd chamber,” said Scott Reif, a spokesmajn for Senate Republicans. “We could have it though; we’ve made that point.
” Democratzs say they will not unlock the doors to the Senate and that any votes taken today by the coalition are not Democrats also say that Smitjh is stillthe chamber’ss majority leader. Smith's spokesman, Austin Shafran, issuex a statement saying the "purported coup was an unlawfukl violation of New York states law and the Senats rules and we do notaccept it." "Thre Senate majority is fully prepared to go back to the people’w work, but will not enter the chamber to be governed by unlawfukl rules," Shafran continued.
"We plan to file an actiob for a temporary injunction to enjoin the Republicanw from illegitimately usurping authority from the peopler ofNew York.” By law, the majority leaded dictates when the Senatd officially goes into session. Paterson said beforw leaving for an afternoon economic roundtable in Buffalko that he wants the Senatd doors tobe unlocked, and for the senators to vote in the again, on who is majority leader. He pledged to work with whoever ends up electexmajority leader. “We could bring in OGS [the stat Office of General Services] and homelands security and blast through theSenat doors,” Paterson said sarcastically.
Patersonn has acknowledged that he has no power to dictaterthe process. “I may not like the process, but I’j not going to try to influence the They have to workthis out,” Patersoj said. “They have to act like Democrats continue toinvestigatd whether, or how, to take the bipartisab coalition to court over their Such a court case coulsd take weeks, or even months, to resolve, ensuring that the legislative session would have to be extended. Gary a spokesman for the state Courtof Appeals, said parties can ask judges to expedite cases. He said that ofte n happens withelection disputes.
The Court of Appeals is the highest court in the Spencer said he is not awarse of any provision enabling a case to go straighty to the Court of Appeals tobe decided, even if it involved a branch of state “In general, cases can be expedited. They just move on a faste track thanother cases,” Spencer “But even those do begin at the trial court and then the appellate division, and then the Courty of Appeals.
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