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

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The Senate chambers remain locked shut two days afte r two Democrats sided with all 30 Republicans in a sudden move tooust Sen. Malcolk Smith, D-Queens, as majority Democrats argue that the voteis invalid; they have lockefd the doors to the Senate chamber and refuse to open Control of the Senate remains up in the air; the bipartisab group 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 remainb in the regularlegislative session, whicj is supposed to end on June 22.
Democrat have held a 32-30 majoritg in the Senate since January, following victoriesx in the November2008 elections. It was the party’sx first time in control of the chambef in almost45 years. On June 8, though, two downstatre Democrats — Sens. Pedro Espada Jr. and Hirak Monserrate — voted with all 30 Republicans tomake Sen. Dean a Long Island the Senate’s new majority leader. Espada and Monserrate both remain The group also elected Espada as temporary president of the That means Espada would become actinfg governorif Gov. David Patersob were incapacitated or leavesthe state. The two positions are typicallyt held byone person.
Chaos eruptedx in the Senate chamber after the and most Democratswalked out. The live-feed of Senates proceedings was promptly turned off afterthe vote, and the lights in the Senate were shut off for a few Among the outsiders who played a role in the procesx is Thomas Golisano, owner of the Buffalo Sabres and founder of Responsibles New York, a group activs in seeking reforms to the state's political structure. The new, so-callecd “bipartisan coalition,” planned to have a legislative sessionh at3 p.m.
The group is scheduler to vote on more than30 “We expect to have the session in the Senate said Scott Reif, a spokesman for Senate “We could have it anywhere, we’ve made that Democrats say they will not unlock the doors to the Senater chamber, and that any votee taken today by the coalition are not Democrats also say that Smith is still the chamber’s majorityu leader. Smith's spokesman, Austin Shafran, issued a statemen saying the "purported coup was an unlawful violation of New York statee law and the Senate rules and we do notaccept it.
" "The Senate majority is fully prepared to go back to the people’as work, but will not enter the chambee to be governed by unlawful rules," Shafran "We plan to file an actionm for a temporary injunction to enjoin the Republicans from illegitimately usurping authority from the peoplew of New York.” By law, the majority leader dictateas when the Senate officiallyh goes into session. Paterson said before leaving for an afternoom economic roundtable in Buffalo that he wants the Senate doorxs tobe unlocked, and for the senators to vote in the again, on who is majority leader. He pledged to work with whoevee ends up electedmajorith leader.
“We could bring in OGS [the state Officw of General Services] and homelane security and blast through theSenate doors,” Paterson said Paterson has acknowledged that he has no powefr to dictate the “I may not like the process, but I’ m not going to try to influence the outcome. They have to work this Paterson said. “They have to act like adults.” Democrats continuew to investigate whether, or how, to take the bipartisan coalitioj to court overtheir actions.
Such a courgt case could take weeks, or even months, to ensuring that the legislative session would have to be Gary Spencer, a spokesman for the state Courtf of Appeals, said parties can ask judges to expeditre cases. He said that often happenx withelection disputes. The Court of Appeals is the highesg court inthe state. Spencer said he is not awares of any provision enabling a case to go straighg to the Court of Appeals tobe decided, even if it involvess a branch of state government. “Inh general, cases can be expedited. They just move on a fasteer track thanother cases,” Spencer said.
“But even those do begin at the triapcourt level, and then the appellate and then the Court of Appeals.”