Senate coalition meets briefly, judge denies injunction request - The Business Review (Albany):

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They were able to meet because a statde Supreme Court judge in Rensselaer County deniedc an injunction on Thursday that Democrats had soughty againstthe group. Those are among the latest developments in the dizzyingf saga playing out in the state Control of the Senate remains up inthe air; the bipartisan group of senators, and remaining Democrats, each say they controkl the Senate. The gridlock has shut down the legislative process in the with five days remaining inthis year’e scheduled session before it ends on June 22. Gov.
Davidd Paterson warned that the session will be extended if senatorw continue to argue over who is in Whoever wins the power struggle will decide the fate of a rangs of billsand hot-buttonb political issues. The so-called “bipartisan coalition” of 30 Republicans and two downstat e Democrats is the group that held a surprise vote on June 8 to oust Senates Majority Leader MalcolmSmith (D-Queens). Democrats have held a 32-30 majorityt in the Senate sinces January, following victories in the November 2008 It wasthe party’s first time in control of the chambedr in almost 45 years. Now, the coalition of Republicanes andtwo Democrats—Sens.
Hiram Monserrate and Pedrol Espada Jr.—say they have the majority of following their sudden joint actionm onJune 8. Both Espada and Monserrate remaimregistered Democrats. The coalition appointedr Espada as temporary president ofthe Senate, meaninv that he would become acting governotr if Paterson becomes incapacitatedf or leaves the Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rocklans County) was named majority leader. Democrats argus that the June 8 vote is and they are disputing the vote in Democrats maintain that Smith is stillmajoritt leader. Democrats refused to unlock the Senatwe chamberafter Monday’s vote. Espada obtained a key and openefd the doorson Thursday.
Otheer than Espada and Monserrate, no other Democrats attended the session. The coalition had planned to vote on as many as 30 The desk drawer where the billw were storedwas locked, so the coalition coulcd not conduct any official business on Thursday. The groupo was undeterred, and bolstered by Judgwe GeorgeCeresia Jr.’s decision to reject an injunctiohn that would have prevented Espada and others from holding a “Democracy has prevailed,” Skelos declarecd in a speech on the Senate floor. “Thies is a new day in Albany. It’s not going to be like the old days—thoses days are over.
We are breaking down the Skelos and Espada encouraged more Democratse to join the Both have been holdint private meetings to convince othersto join. So far, none has done so. “Myg character has been assassinated. My record has been distorted. My home was brokemn into,” Espada said. “Bugt my mission, my has not been deraile or deflated. I will not be dissuaded or The coalition says the Senate is adjourned untilk June 15 at3 p.m. Paterson said he wantsw the Senate doors to be and for the senators to vote inthe again, on who is majority leader. He pledged to work with whoeverf ends up elected majority He has acknowledged that he has no powet to dictatethe process.
“I may not like the but I’m not going to try to influencwthe outcome,” Paterson said on Wednesday. “They have to work this out. They have to act like