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NY: Attorney General Steaming Over Governor’s Pick
Last Updated on Monday, 20 July 2009 11:36 Written by rslcpol Monday, 20 July 2009 11:36
From the Daily News:
Tensions between Gov. Paterson and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo have reached frosty new levels with the recent pick of a state Democratic boss.
Paterson tapped Nassau County Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs to replace June O’Neill, a veteran of former Gov. Mario Cuomo’s administration.
A Paterson ally described Cuomo – the governor’s potential 2010 primary rival – as “off-the-charts angry” about the nod.
It’s not Cuomo’s allegiance to O’Neill that’s the problem.
Paterson’s camp believes it’s Jacobs’ close ties to Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi.
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NY: Court Considers Lt. Gov. Appointment
Last Updated on Wednesday, 15 July 2009 12:30 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 15 July 2009 12:30
From CNYCentral.com:
Lawyers for Gov. David Paterson are due back in court to defend last week’s appointment of Richard Ravitch as New York’s lieutenant governor.
The appointment was a bid to break a leadership deadlock in the state Senate.
The move appeared to succeed. Rebel Democratic Sen. Pedro Espada dropped a month-long affiliation with Senate Republicans and returned to his party.
That ended a month-long stalemate in the statehouse. But it set off the court fight over Ravitch’s appointment.
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NY: Governor’s Lt. Gov. Appointment Now Looks Rash
Last Updated on Tuesday, 14 July 2009 01:58 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 14 July 2009 01:58
From NewsDay.com:
Especially with the State Senate crisis ebbing, Gov. David A. Paterson’s move to make Richard Ravitch his lieutenant governor looks now more like a rash political stunt than a sober government action.
Paterson said his concern was gubernatorial succession. But Article 6 of the state constitution sounds plain enough: In the absence of both a governor and a lieutenant governor, the next in line of succession is the temporary president of the Senate, followed by the Assembly speaker.
If a vacancy occurs for both governor and lieutenant governor, an election is prescribed to replace them. The two posts are elected together. The constitution has no provision for a governor appointing his successor – or otherwise putting the job in unelected hands.
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NY: Governor’s Lt. Gov Appointment Now Being Challenged in Court
Last Updated on Monday, 13 July 2009 10:05 Written by rslcpol Monday, 13 July 2009 10:05
From The Valley News:
The appointment of Richard Ravitch as lieutenant-governor by Governor David Paterson earlier this week is being challenged in court.
Senate Republicans said Thursday morning that they secured a court order suspending Gov. Paterson’s appointment of a lieutenant-governor. The court order was scheduled to be argued yesterday.
During a televised address Wednesday night, Gov. Paterson appointed the former CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority—an appointment that many, including New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, say is unconstitution
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NY: Senate Pulls All-Nighter; Passes 135 Bills
Last Updated on Friday, 10 July 2009 01:41 Written by rslcpol Friday, 10 July 2009 01:41
From Portfolio.com:
Early Friday morning, the state Senate revived a popular program that provides low-cost power to businesses.
The program, called Power for Jobs, died during the unprecedented battle for control of the Senate that lasted for more than a month. The stalemate broke on July 9, and senators passed 135 bills in an overnight session that ended just before 2 a.m. on Friday.
The bills are expected to be sent to Gov. David Paterson for his signature.
In early June, two Democrats broke ranks and voted with Republicans in a surprise attempt to oust Democrats from power. Democrats had a 32-30 majority in the chamber, the first time the party had controlled the Senate in nearly 45 years.
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New York Senate Gridlock is Over
Last Updated on Friday, 10 July 2009 02:00 Written by rslcpol Friday, 10 July 2009 01:34
From WNBZ.com:
The month-long gridlock in New York’s State Senate finally ended last night after a whirlwind day that included the appointment of a lieutenant governor, a court challenge by Republicans, and a decision by a Democratic dissident to rejoin his party.
Thursday began with an announcement by Governor David Paterson that former Metropolitan
Transportation Authority Chairman Richard Ravitch would be named lieutenant governor in an attempt to end the 31-31 stalemate in the Senate.Paterson says he made the decision because no progress was being made.
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NY: Governor Will Try to Appoint LG
Last Updated on Wednesday, 8 July 2009 03:16 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 8 July 2009 03:16
From LoHud.com:
Gov. David Paterson is set to take to the airwaves at 5:01 p.m. today to address the ongoing Senate fight amid speculation that he may seek to name a lieutenant governor to end the stalemate.
Paterson has requested live airtime on television networks today in order “to address the current Senate stalemate and its impact on all New Yorkers,” the advisory states.
Earlier this week Paterson said he would look into whether he could legally appoint a lieutenant governor, a seat now vacant, to break the gridlock in the Senate. A lieutenant governor could break any tie vote in the Senate, which is now deadlocked 31-31.
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NY: AG Cuomo Rejects Governor’s Appointment of LG Plan
Last Updated on Tuesday, 7 July 2009 10:36 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 7 July 2009 10:36
From The Buffalo News:
Gov. David A. Paterson on Monday was not ruling out trying to appoint a lieutenant governor to break the month-old stalemate in the State Senate, although state Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo dismissed the idea as unconstitutional.
Two government watchdog groups and a Democratic member of the Assembly insisted Monday that a section of state law permits the governor to choose a second-in-command, who would then serve as the presiding officer of the Senate and be in a position to break the current 31-31 tie between the warring factions.
The latest twist in the saga, which continued to evolve with no end in sight, came as Democratic and Republican leaders appeared Monday to be pulling farther apart in talks to try to resolve the gridlock that began June 8.
Posted under Attorney General News | 1 Comment
NY: Democrats Lock Themselves in Senate Chamber
Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 June 2009 01:33 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 23 June 2009 01:33
From the Daily News:
The battle for control of the Senate got even more bizarre Tuesday afternoon as Democrats locked themselves into the Senate chamber.
More than 20 Democratic Senators sealed themselves into the chamber hours before the scheduled start of Gov. Paterson’s mandated special session and just moments after talks with Republicans over a power-sharing agreement collapsed.
The Democrats move into the Senate marked the first time they have stepped foot in the chamber since the Republican-led coup on June 8.
Posted under Dems Behaving Badly, State Legislature News | No Comments
NY: Governor Wants to Agree With Legislative Leaders
Last Updated on Wednesday, 17 June 2009 01:40 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 17 June 2009 01:40
From the Democrat and Chronicle:
Gov. David Paterson will take another crack today in trying to get an agreement between Senate Democrats and Republicans: He’s meeting privately with Sens. Pedro Espada and Dean Skelos, and then holding other meeting later today with Sens. John Sampson and Malcolm Smith.
Paterson sought to meet with legislative leaders earlier this week, but the sides met themselves Monday night, only to walk away with no power-sharing agreement as proposed by Democrats.
The sides don’t appear to be moving any closer to an agreement, though.
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