By Mark Scott
Albany, NY – A dissident Democratic state senator is back with his party after helping lead the Republican-dominated coup that shut down the Senate for more than a month.
Bronx Senator Pedro Espada's return gives the Democrats a 32-30 majority for the first time since June 8th. As part of the deal, Espada takes the title of Senate majority leader. Malcolm Smith retains his title of Senate president pro-temp.
Espada did apologize for the gridlock his flip-flopping caused.
"It was never about power, but about empowerment," Espada said at a Democratic news conference.
"As Democrats, we have differences of opinion, different concerns," Smith said. "Yet at the end of the day, Democrats always come together."
Then Smith announced the end of the standoff, with Espada at his side: "Democrats have come together to move the state's business forward."
Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos acknowledged the Democrats are back in charge. But in a written statement, he said the Senate "can never go back to the old rules that entrusted enormous power in a single leader.