By Mark Scott
Albany, NY – Two renegade Democrats from New York City have broken ranks with their party and are now voting with the Republican minority in the State Senate. The move is allowing Republicans to regain control of the body.
The decision by senators Pedro Espada Jr. of the Bronx and Hiram Monserrate of Queens Monday to vote with the Republicans gave the GOP a 32-30 voting edge. Neither Espada nor Monserrate changed party affiliation. Democrats held the Senate for barely five months after being out of power for four decades.
Senator Dean Skelos was reinstated as Majority Leader. Espada will serve as president pro-tem. Democrats tried to leave the chamber, even turning off the lights briefly, and are expected to challenge Monday's action in court.
The coup throws into doubt the movement to legalize same-sex marriage, one of the major policy issues still in the balance for the last two weeks of the regular session.
Billionaire businessman Tom Golisano is reported to have engineered the Republican takeover. Golisano, who owns the Buffalo Sabres, was quoted as saying "it's a great day for New York State."