By Mark Scott
Albany, NY – An outburst by a downstate Democratic senator at a State Senate hearing this week is creating controversy at the Capitol. Senator Kevin Parker was apparently objecting to the line of questioning by one Republican of a Black nominee to the New York Power Authority.
Republican Senator John DeFrancisco was questioning Power Authority nominee Mark O'Luck about affirmative action when Senator Parker began lashing out.
"You are totally out of order! You are out of order," Parker yelled out. "How dare you!"
The committee chair ruled Parker was out of order and said he should leave the chamber. Parker responded, "then get somebody to remove me," and then adding, "bring people though."
Parker followed that outburst with a controversial appearance on New York City radio station WWRL with this.
"The 'white supremacist' Republican senators, who lost the majority, have a real problem (with the way the Senate is being run)," said Parker.
Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos responded that Parker should be censured for those remarks. Skelos says they were "disgraceful, disturbing" and cause for discipline.
On the Capitol Pressroom on WBFO, another Republican senator, Thomas Libous of Binghamton, said the Democrats are failing the test of leadership
"There are a number of problems in that conference," Libous. "That causes an emotional outburst."
The Senate's Democratic leader John Sampson would only say that the name calling should stop.
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